being the Being. past, present & future.

We have all experienced meditation and allowed for our bodies to quiet down and to relax from our busy lives. Meditation is defined as continued or extended thought; reflection; or contemplation. The feeling that one gets from meditating and how refreshing and awake one feels after meditating are only a few of the many reasons why people meditate.

Scientific studies have discovered that meditation increased the brain size. It allows people to deal better with the physical and to “rise above” physical limitations. A scientist found that certain areas of the brain were altered during deep meditation – predictably the front of the brain that are involved in concentration. But, scientist also found decreased activity in the parietal lobe, one of the parts of the brain that helps orient a person in three-dimensional space. Therefore, when people have spiritual experiences – just like during meditation – they feel they become one with the universe and lose their sense of self.

This leads to my question =D

When we meditate, we are able to enter the world of our Beings and transcend physical boundaries. Is our ego mind shut off during meditation due to the strong bond and interconnection between our Being and Universal Being? Or are we simply able to develop awareness for the existence of an inner Being to step out of our ego minds?

I look forward to seeing your responses to this questions. Explore with your ideas!

Forums related to this topic!
http://www.project-meditation.org/community/eckhart-tolle/1779-taking-step-into-world-our-being.html
http://onlinephilosophyclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2091
http://www.gurusfeet.com/forum/taking-step-world-our-being
http://forums.philosophyforums.com/threads/taking-a-step-into-the-world-of-our-being-35364.html

Hi ANGEEEEEE!

Okay, so, I think that the ego mind is not shut off during meditation – it is merely ignored, or rather, we don’t let it dominate us anymore. First off, the ego mind is part of us – we cannot get rid of it. It is always there no matter what. The only way we can forget its presence temporarily is to disregard it. There is no “on” or “off” button for the ego mind. From my discussion, we talked about how the reason why people let willingly let their ego mind rule their life, make their decisions, control their emotions, etc, is because we know no other source that we can rely on. After centuries of dominance, the ego mind has cultivated the individual to make distinctions between “me” and “others.” This distinction was perhaps initially installed to ensure that the individual can escape from his or her predator quickly to ensure survival. Yet, after relying on the ego mind for survival for such a long time, we become lazy or accustomed to listening to it. We, therefore, let it dominant our lives and slowly start to neglect the existence of the being. Let’s think about it this way: we all know that we possess a being. However, even after centuries of neglect, has the being been shut off? No, it has not. It is still present; it is still exchanging energy with our surroundings. We just choose to ignore its existence. Therefore, we’re ignoring it; we haven’t shut it off.

Similarly, when we meditate, we start to neglect the existence of the ego mind and venture into the mystic realm of the being. We “step out of our ego mind,” as you’ve stated. This is the time where we let our being dominant – to really feel the interconnectivity between all objects, and to relish in the sensation of being embraced by our surrounding. We let the being control us – to take the reins. By “forgetting” the ego mind temporarily, we are able to stop “egocentric” thoughts from consuming us, and are able to simply live in the now. This allows us to perform tasks such as expanding our brains and having a beginner’s mind.

Yet, I am curious. What is it about meditation that permits our brains to enlarge, quite literally? Is it because when we meditate, we allow thoughts to come and go freely, without restraining them – without stopping thoughts that seem “too crazy” or “too out of the norm.” Perhaps this allows our brains to grow because we are no longer confining ourselves into thinking the same way we’ve been thinking before? To let new thoughts flow in and to consider them before disregarding the thought as “thoughts of insanity?"

Haha. Hopefully, that was understandable.

Hello

If you have really Mediated for more than a short period of time, you will feel you legs going numb, you back throbbing from stress, and your fingers twisted in weird directions to keep them together. You don't ignore you Ego buzzing at you telling you it hurts and it wants you to move, but instead, you are meant to accept this painful buzz of your Ego mind. By returning to your breathing, you will most likely use it to distract your ego from the buzz. The longer you stay in this position, the stronger your numb legs buzz and the more your Ego wonders off. We don't close the Ego mind, but instead, we just accept the buzz and continue.

Mediation is more of a test of endurance against your pounding Ego mind. If you don't believe me. try sitting in a full lotus form and have a straight back for two hours then come back. After this, i can swear your legs will be so numb you can't move them for a couple of minutes, if you can move them, that means you were moving in your mediation and defeated the purpose and don't continue reading for you wont understand.

Meditation instead of ignoring of facing off to the Ego mind, it is allowing it to complain and not care. Unlike ignoring, you know its there but you don't listen to it. In meditation, One will sometimes blank out and have no thoughts nothing at all like falling into a coma for a second and coming back. After this time, we all want to know what it is and try to get into that state again, but the more we think, the further away we get from that moment. What is that Flash of nothingness, and why do we get this flash?

Angela!

I'll come back and edit, but right now, I'll keep it short and sweet.

After this time, we all want to know what it is and try to get into that state again, but the more we think, the further away we get from that moment. What is that Flash of nothingness, and why do we get this flash?

This flash of nothingness is us connecting with essence. This is when we have succesfully quieted down the ego-mind to the point that we don't notice the separation between solid things or the difference between individuals--when we are just basked in the Universal Being, feeling interconnectivity and infinite potential as ONE with everthing else. This flash of nothingness is when we stop THINKING, when we start FEELING.

How do you know what it is if you can't remember it nor understand it?

You FEEL it. Essence does not need to be understood or felt. It is Essence--something that is innate, everywhere, and impossible to apply science onto. It's INTUITION that allows you to KNOW/FEEL what it is.

Gray wrote:
After this time, we all want to know what it is and try to get into that state again, but the more we think, the further away we get from that moment. What is that Flash of nothingness, and why do we get this flash?

Insightful question you have there!

Perhaps the reason why the more we think, the further away we get from that moment is because once we start thinking, we are not ignoring the ego mind (as both Vicky and Gray said), but rather we are letting the ego mind act. We are no longer focusing on the pattern of our breathing or on the peacefulness that we feel with nature, but rather we are trying to search through our thoughts for that state which will lead to nothing but getting further away from it. It is kind of like breaking the peace of mediation and the interconnection of our Being with the Universal Being?

Vicky wrote:
What is it about meditation that permits our brains to enlarge, quite literally?

Remember the research that measured the gamma waves of monks – who practiced mediation – and ordinary students. The electrodes picked up much greater activation for fast-moving and unusually powerful gamma waves in the monks, and also that the movement of waves through the brain was far more organized and coordinated than in the students. Perhaps these intesne gamma waves that were measured in the monks are associated to the knitting together of disparate brain circuits. It may also be connected to a higher mental activity and heightened awareness!

Anita wrote:
Meditation has to be experienced, it cannot be defined. You can try to lead and guide one person to meditate, but you cannot teach them. One person cannot truly experience the wonders of meditation by listening to others’ experiences; they have to go through the process themselves, to find within themselves……However, as we meditate, the ego mind’s volume will be turned down, those thoughts will disappear, and we will experience times of no thought, being at one with everything.”

Insightful response, anita =) Meditation simply isn’t a tangible thing – just like our Being. There is not exact definition for how one is supposed to feel during meditation because the possibilities are unlimited! Its great that you mentioned what the ego mind does, which it trying to search for tangibility and wanting to know things. Your comment in the second paragraph reminded me of poetry – just like in poetry, we do not have to go into meditation trying to search for a specific “something” or meaning. Perhaps the interconnection of our Being with the Universal Being is spontaneous – which is what you mentioned as intervals of “no thought” =)


What do you guys think? =)

Meditation has to be experienced, it cannot be defined. You can try to lead and guide one person to meditate, but you cannot teach them. One person cannot truly experience the wonders of meditation by listening to others’ experiences; they have to go through the process themselves, to find within themselves. (Emerson’s “Experience”) It is opposite to the ego mind in the sense that the ego mind is always on a search to know, what did I get on that Chinese test? Oh my gosh, what is going to happen tomorrow when my mom finds out that I've broken the vase? On the other hand, meditation emphasizes on the now.

During our first experience with meditation, some of us are reluctant and eager to find out what will happen. Aren’t I supposed to feel something great? Something new that I have not experienced before? What is it? When will I feel it? this is the ego mind going into overdrive. However, as we meditate, the ego mind’s volume will be turned down, those thoughts will disappear, and we will experience times of no thought, being at one with everything.

You don't ignore you Ego buzzing at you telling you it hurts and it wants you to move, but instead, you are meant to accept this painful buzz of your Ego mind. By returning to your breathing, you will most likely use it to distract your ego from the buzz. The longer you stay in this position, the stronger your numb legs buzz and the more your Ego wonders off. We don't close the Ego mind, but instead, we just accept the buzz and continue.

Hmm, so during meditation, our ego-minds are not shut off, since there is no “on and off button” like Vicky has said, but the volume of the ego-mind is merely turned down by a lot.

Heyy! I responded to each one of your comments in my previous post! Some feedback would be great!

From yesterday’s discussion, there seems to be a general conclusion reached that during meditation, the ego mind is not shut off but rather we learn to ignore its existence. We do not let the ego mind and its desire to know things influence the bonding with our inner Being. Research states that successful mediators get used to not thinking or elaborating things in their mind.

Meditation focuses on the present moment, on the NOW. Is this the reason why we are able to feel a decrease in stress – or simply to escape the chaos that one might by experiencing in life? In other words, is it because we are allowing our feelings to become less obstructive and more motivational?

A Duke physiatrist said:

I am open to the possibility that there is more to this than what meets the eye. I don’t believe in the omnipotence of science or that we have a foolproof explanation.

An intersting quote to take into consideration:
"Thought cannot avoid the Ethic of Reverence and Love for all life. It will abandon the old confined systems of ethics and be forced to recognize the ethics that knows no bounds. But on the other hand, those who believe in Love for all creation must realize clearly the difficulties involved in the problem of a boundless ethic and must be resolved not to veil from [humankind] the conflicts which this ethic will involve [us], but allow [us] really to experience them. To think out in every implication the Ethic of Love for all creation -- this is the difficult task which confronts our age." ALBERT SCHWEITZER

Any thoughts or reactions? I'm excited to see what each of you have to say!!

Hey Ange!

Is this the reason why we are able to feel a decrease in stress – or simply to escape the chaos that one might by experiencing in life? In other words, is it because we are allowing our feelings to become less obstructive and more motivational?

Like I’ve said before, during meditation, the ego mind is ignored. The ego mind, which is in charge of ensuring the survival of the individual, is what causes the stress in the first place. It constantly refers to the past and judges the current situation by past experiences because it thinks that if the reaction that it had in the past had been sufficient enough to keep the individual alive, then it will work for the second time, too. Moreover, the ego mind creates stress because that is what will alert and motivate the individual to RUN FOR THEIR LIFE.

]On to your second point. I don’t think that emotions themselves are what create “obstructive” feelings – it is the interpretation of them that the ego mind assumes that causes these turbulent feelings. The ego mind, as discusses before, is what reminds us of danger and subsequently, allow us to survive. It is, therefore, nature for it to “manipulate emotions” so that the individual feels tense or stressed out. Therefore, during meditation, the reason why our feelings seem to become less obstructive is because the ego mind is on temporary hiatus – it is not twisting emotions into something negative.

As for the second part of that sentence – “is it because we are allowing our feelings to become…more motivational,” I think that the motivation is always there, with or without the ego mind’s presence. We feel motivated to run away from danger because of the way the ego mind presents emotions to us. However, I guess what you mean by motivation here is what drives the individual to “do good deeds?” Well, in that case, yes, I do think that by being more connected with our surroundings, we will become more motivated to perform tasks that will “make us closer to them.”

I am open to the possibility that there is more to this than what meets the eye. I don’t believe in the omnipotence of science or that we have a foolproof explanation.

Umm. Yes, I guess this quote does apply to your question here. We will never fully understand what exactly is happening during meditation. We can only speculate that perhaps because chaotic thoughts fade during meditation, the ego mind is “on break.” Maybe what we’ve been talking about is all wrong – maybe our ego mind is our being. Perhaps we’ve been too anxious on classifying things, that we end up classifying ourselves based on “good” and “evil.” Maybe the ego just “transforms” into our being during meditation, as we the “classifiers” may think. I don’t really know.

angee
personally, i think our personal expression of the selves is mainly from the ego mind right? so usually we are accustomed to the being being hidden in the background.
meditation does not stop the ego mind from screaming in your head, but it most likely turns down the volume so we can concentrate on the details that we often ignore because of our screaming ego mind. i suppose we don't ever escape from the ego mind, instead, during meditation, we learn to ignore the ego mind just like how we usually ignore the being.

so, about what you have said about being able to ignore the ego mind, when we are indulged in something, we often tend to concentrate on only one thing, well at least that happens to me. when we meditate, we are focusing on our breathing and trying to feel the now. when we focus, it is a lot easier to ignore the buzzing surroundings in our lives, so i suppose that when we focus on trying to connect with the being, we often ignore the on going drama

Ok, enough discussion about the ego mind and the Being. I know some of you guys think its repetitive….buts it really not!

Some interesting quotes to give this discussion some fresh air!!

"I cannot tell you any spiritual truth that deep within you don't know already. All I can do is remind you of what you have forgotten"

"The quality of your consciousness at this moment is what shapes the future which, of course, can only be experienced as the Now"

"To be free of time is to be free of the psychological need of past for your identity and future for your fulfillment"

Hope you guys enjoyed these insightful quotes taken from Eckhart Tolle

"Emotion arises at the place where mind and body meet. It is the body's reaction to your mind or you might say, a reflection of your mind in the body” -Eckhart Tolle
What are your thoughts on this quote?

being the Being.

The previous discussion about the ego mind and Being during processes of meditation, this leads to my new question. As the first quote states, everyone possesses all the spiritual truths of the world. It is all within us, innate perhaps? As society changes and life develops into a more complex era with technological developments that no longer require as much brain and body work, why do we seem to focus outward more than we focus inwards? Why does it seem that many people are not aware of the Being and that his or her existence is actually a puzzle piece to the universe? Are we WHOLEness or NOTHINGness?

ANGELA LIIIIIII!

"Emotion arises at the place where mind and body meet. It is the body's reaction to your mind or you might say, a reflection of your mind in the body” -Eckhart Tolle

In regards to this quote, I think that its ideas are quite agreeable. It somewhat pertains to The Secret, especially to the part of “thoughts create reality.” The body is the reaction for our mind. When we feel stressed out, for example, we continue to manifest more and more negative thoughts. The accumulation of negative thoughts, in turn, attracts negative “auras” to the individual. As a result, our immune system may become less active, which might lead to diseases such as cancer. The mind is what dominates our thoughts now-a-days, and its affect over us and our bodies should not be undermined. For instance, there is a reason why people who are depressed generally become more introverted overtime – the negative feelings continue to pile up within them, until they eventually drive the individual “crazy” and perhaps towards committing suicide. However, if a person is happy, they will continue to be jubilant because their mind is producing/attracting more positive thoughts to them. Emotions are created when the body responses to the mind. When the mind, specifically the ego mind, goes into overdrive, it plants a lot of negative thoughts. The body responds to these negative thoughts by becoming tense, which will cause the emitting of “bad emotions.”

As society changes and life develops into a more complex era with technological developments that no longer require as much brain and body work, why do we seem to focus outward more than we focus inwards? Why does it seem that many people are not aware of the Being and that his or her existence is actually a puzzle piece to the universe? Are we WHOLEness or NOTHINGness?

Like you said, with technological developments replacing the manual work that used to be required, people start to rely less and less on their brain and body. As a result, we start to focus outward because we no longer need to focus inward as much in order to get work done. We start to become even more fascinated with new technology that will allow our brain and body to do even less work. Slowly, along with not using our brain and body as much, we start to lose track of all the “functions” that we have. We become more egocentric because we focus too much on acquiring new electronics to make “our” life better. This sense of distinction between “me” and “others” is what leads to the increasingly lack of awareness of the Being. We become more self-centered, thinking that the world revolves around making our life better. The ego mind dominates and demands that we find new luxuries for ourselves, rather than seek advancement that will improve the Universal Being as a whole. In this sense, we are neither wholeness nor nothingness. We are “pieces” or “fragments.” We seem disconnected from the Universal Being on the surface. Nevertheless, we still exist, so we still are something.

By the way, nice new title! –wink, wink –

"Emotion arises at the place where mind and body meet. It is the body's reaction to your mind or you might say, a reflection of your mind in the body” -Eckhart Tolle
What are your thoughts on this quote?

The body essentially does encompass the mind (along with the brain, the being, the essence … everything, really, that is included in the individual is composed of. This makes it a part of the experiences which the person undergoes, and this includes all things from emotions and feelings to everyday actions and decisions. So yes, I agree with Eckhart Tolle on this one. But as for the “meeting” of the mind and body … what is meant by “meeting”? If the body already houses the mind, why is it then necessary that they meet together? Can the body connect with the mind at all times, or does it have to search for the mind?

As society changes and life develops into a more complex era with technological developments that no longer require as much brain and body work, why do we seem to focus outward more than we focus inwards? Why does it seem that many people are not aware of the Being and that his or her existence is actually a puzzle piece to the universe? Are we WHOLEness or NOTHINGness?

“We focus outward more than we focus inwards” because perhaps that is just human nature. I have a feeling that it has to do with instinct – which then leads to the personal choices of the individual – that makes up the foundation of the belief of communication and the willingness to interact. Isn’t this what we humans do? We tend to look to others, follow social trends and norms, and “exist” and “focus” in the societal realm instead of standing within our own. Focusing inwards takes time, it takes patience and true endurance (gosh I make it sound so horrible). To look inside oneself and reflect on one’s own, well, existence, takes a certain amount of courage. And it’s commitment too. I don’t know, but this reminds me of overconsumption and excessive consumerism (GGGGAAAHHHH!). Following societal trends and pursuing something that is not of individual value and instead hurts the quality of life, etc. – now that’s really focusing outward. Perhaps we feel safer when we focus outward.

I think we can be both wholeness and nothingness. Wholeness is when all of our elements (of our body) are connected and are at peace (or so it seems to me). This is unity and harmony, basically. And we are just blurs of nothingness when we are lost – lost, meaning that our sense of direction has been marred. This happens between split intervals of time, or perhaps it happens momentarily, or perhaps it almost never occurs. I think this is more of an “inward” thing, though. It is to lose a sense of purpose/duty (mmm … maybe it’s linked to the “achieving of one’s goals”?), and that is certainly quite painful.

Angela wrote:
"I cannot tell you any spiritual truth that deep within you don't know already. All I can do is remind you of what you have forgotten"

hmmm. i think this is just like siddhartha, about how we have to experience something in order to know it that is the reason why we cannot judge another person before we get to know them. appearances are decieving, so the only thing that we can do is to experience and to learn. once in a while we may learn something new, but we may also forget them, which is exactly why we need a reminder for us to snap us back to reality and see things as the way they really are.

Angela!

"Emotion arises at the place where mind and body meet. It is the body's reaction to your mind or you might say, a reflection of your mind in the body” -Eckhart Tolle

I like this quote! It's really concise and insightful. Because it is so ambiguous, I think that the mind can either be interpreted as the ego-mind or the higher being. Also, the body can be viewed as either the physical body or the body of essence and being. Either way, where the mind meets the body is where emotions arise because emotions, as we've discussed in a previous thread, is a result of both the ego-mind's ego-centric view of the world and the being's frequencies and infinite potential. Because the ego-mind does have emotions of panic, fear, etc., it is kind of hard to distinguish whether emotions comes solely from the ego-mind or solely from the being, but through our discussions on the forum and with this quote, it now becomes clear the function of ego-mind alongside of the being. The being provides infinite potential--infinite possibilities of emotions--while the ego-mind's more restricted view of the world lets individuals feel particular emotions caused by particular environmental sitmulus instead of just feeling the WHOLE.

As the first quote states, everyone possesses all the spiritual truths of the world. It is all within us, innate perhaps? As society changes and life develops into a more complex era with technological developments that no longer require as much brain and body work, why do we seem to focus outward more than we focus inwards? Why does it seem that many people are not aware of the Being and that his or her existence is actually a puzzle piece to the universe? Are we WHOLEness or NOTHINGness?

Could it be because we no longer use our brain and body as much as we did before--when we needed to be creative which will allow us to draw from the Common Essence--that now, we are just more occupied with the technological conveniences that we have that we no longer use our infintie potential? And even it may seem that when we no longer need to use the left brain that now we can use our right brain more and explore essence, most of us do not develop our relationship with essence because we're too busy caring about our material lives and our attention distracted by technology.

Angela, I'll come back to edit! But you still have to comment on what I've so far!

A general conclusion seems to have been made regarding whether our Beings are WHOLEness or NOTHINGness. Perhaps our Being is a intermingling of both – depending on ones awarness and observations. When we open up our channel of intuition and allow our Being to connect with the Universal BEIng, we are in a sense wholeness or oneness because we are a part of the WHOLE. We are made up of energy, and so is everything else in the universal energy “soup.” On the other hand, we may seem like NOTHINGness because our Being or our connection to the universe is not visible. The universal energy “soup” can not be seen even with the newest technological equipments. In scientific sense, we may appear to be nothing on the surface, but actually are not. We are the Truth and we are playmakers to our own lifes.

Some more quotes for you to enjoy and reflect on

“What’s happening outside of you is a relfection of what is happening inside of you”

“A bad day is just a day where you have been thinking more negative thoughts than positive ones.”

Summarized in three simple words: Thoughts create reality =)

RECAP for the previous discussion (read if you need a refresh in memory!)

As a reacap of the previous discussions, when we meditate, we are focusing on the NOW (power of now!) and allowing our Being to develop a interconnection with the higher or universal Being. We step out of the ego mind – or ignore it, as some say – and we are able to calm ourselves and dwell in a moment of peace. As social conditioning changes and technological developments increase, our ego minds are once again triggered due to a wanting of newness and focusing too much outward and too little inward. Ego mind starts to go into overdrive, which led to my question of whether we are WHOLEness or NOTHINGness.

Do you guys think people are afraid to face their “inner selves”? A person from another forum stated that some people are terrified of meditaiton and reflection of the Being. Why do people tend to focus outward more? Is it simply easier and more comfortable? Or are they just trying to escape dealing with the complex Being?

As Angel asked, If the body already houses the mind, why is it then necessary that they meet together? Can the body connect with the mind at all times, or does it have to search for the mind?

In other words, is the body always connected to the mind, or does there have to be a “click” reaction in order for the bond between the body and the mind to spark?

These are all very big and complex concepts that may sometimes leave one’s head “fuzzy” from too much critical thinking and sythesizing but you guys are all doing an awesome job so far! Keep it up!

[REPONSE TO INDIVIDUAL POSTS COMING UP!]

Feedback time!

My newest question is posted in my previous post. Feel free to scroll up and take a look!

Vicky wrote:It somewhat pertains to The Secret, especially to the part of “thoughts create reality.” The body is the reaction for our mind. When we feel stressed out, for example, we continue to manifest more and more negative thoughts. The accumulation of negative thoughts, in turn, attracts negative “auras” to the individual.

Insightful distinction here! This question DOES have to do with the law of attraction and the concept that “thoughts create reality.” From your response, I have developed a deeper understading for the concept of the spiritual domain dominating the physical domain. Our thoughts attract like thoughts –just as you mentioned in your example – and the situation gets worse and worse. Great job on the synthesis though! You have mentioned and talked about concepts that I was going to talk about in my new question today! A true understanding of the quote “What’s happening outside of you is a reflection of what is happening inside of you.” Is shown through your first paragraph!

Vicky wrote:We become more egocentric because we focus too much on acquiring new electronics to make “our” life better. This sense of distinction between “me” and “others” is what leads to the increasingly lack of awareness of the Being. We become more self-centered, thinking that the world revolves around making our life better. The ego mind dominates and demands that we find new luxuries for ourselves, rather than seek advancement that will improve the Universal Being as a whole. In this sense, we are neither wholeness nor nothingness. We are “pieces” or “fragments.” We seem disconnected from the Universal Being on the surface. Nevertheless, we still exist, so we still are something.

Another great understanding of the discussion here! I did not realize that the reason we focus outward is partially due to the fact that our ego mind wants newness. Also, as technological developments improve, the ego mind starts thinking about wanting to own more electronics that will allow ME (his or herself) to live a better life. Ultimately, I may become a race for who has the newest and the funkiest electronics. Want for one thing leads to the want for more, and soon before we realize, we have allowed our ego minds into overdrive. I derived my general summary – synthesizing the whole picture – from your second paragraph resonse! We are, in fact, a mix of both WHOLEness and NOTHINGness. Awesome distinction that you made there! Thinking outside of the box, as you always do =)

Angel wrote:We tend to look to others, follow social trends and norms, and “exist” and “focus” in the societal realm instead of standing within our own. Focusing inwards takes time, it takes patience and true endurance (gosh I make it sound so horrible). To look inside oneself and reflect on one’s own, well, existence, takes a certain amount of courage.

This is just like the affects of social conditioning along with our ego minds. We are swayed by such external forces that we reflect outward rather than inward. Focusing inwards does indeed take time. It is, as u mentioned, not a simply task. The Being is complex and intangible, so the only way to have a full understanding of it is by experincing it. Great synthesis and understanding of the topic, though! Notice that I have modified your question into a part of my new question! Good Job =)

Ivy wrote:i think this is just like siddhartha, about how we have to experience something in order to know it that is the reason why we cannot judge another person before we get to know them. appearances are decieving, so the only thing that we can do is to experience and to learn.

Indeed, just like medidation, we have to experience it ourselves in order to truly understand it. It, like our Being, is intangible, therefore it cannot be fully explained through words or writings. Haha reminds me of “never judge a book by its cover” We should make conclusions after we have fully experinced things, not by making sterotypes or generalizations through the thoughts that the ego mind created!

Fermin wrote:through our discussions on the forum and with this quote, it now becomes clear the function of ego-mind alongside of the being. The being provides infinite potential--infinite possibilities of emotions--while the ego-mind's more restricted view of the world lets individuals feel particular emotions

Im glad you liked the quote!! When I first read the quote, the different interpretations (that popped into your mind) of the mind and the body popped into my mind! This serves as a further discussing of emotions in relation to our ego mind and Being. You show well understanding of this topic to have synthesized that our different emotions are a result of our Being and ego mind intermingling.

Fermin wrote:Could it be because we no longer use our brain and body as much as we did before--when we needed to be creative which will allow us to draw from the Common Essence--that now, we are just more occupied with the technological conveniences that we have that we no longer use our infintie potential?

Great question you have there! Due to the changing of social conditioning, new technological develpments have replaced work that requires our body or mind. In the period of Transcendentalism, for example, people did show awarness that the Being posesses unlimited potential. It is almost as if this sudden burst of technology has inhibited us from expressing our unlimited potential! Due to convinience, the ego mind may dominate and want to gain more convience from such external sources. Our unlimited potential – our BEING – still exists, but it almost feels as if many people have ignored it and that more and more people are living their lives with their ego leading the way. =)



[MORE RESPONSES TO COME...i have not forgotten anyone!]

Angela wrote:
"To be free of time is to be free of the psychological need of past for your identity and future for your fulfillment"

okayy, working with more quotes
personally, i think we are often trying to become someone else. this is a frequent assumption that we are stereotyped into some body we are not. we're only truly who we are when we are without the ego mind. the ego mind is conditioning us to act and to fit into someway that we are not. i suppose that we often wear a mask to prevent people from seeing us as who we are. the ego mind is conditioning us to react from the past as ms.kay has said, thus we often become paranoid and irritable because our ego mind has the previous conditions applied to the now, which will prevent us from being in the Now.

our need to excel and to succeed is also conditioning us. we have our future all planned out, which makes spontaneity scarce. planning is mainly from need the of having something tangible. i suppose that is because people need something secure. the ego mind likes structure, right? so it will like the idea of having a schedule planned out and to set out the boundaries. these are all prevent us from simply being in the NOW and enjoying the moment. in other terms, we become more conscious of the past and future than the now, thus we are unable to clear our biases and judgments and simply become ONE with the whole

Aloha Angela,
I'm just briefly following the discussion here.
For now, I'll just answer your two questions

Do you guys think people are afraid to face their “inner selves”? A person from another forum stated that some people are terrified of meditaiton and reflection of the Being. Why do people tend to focus outward more? Is it simply easier and more comfortable? Or are they just trying to escape dealing with the complex Being?

People tend to focus on the outside more and refuse to acknowledge their inner beings because they are afraid of the unknown.
Our insides are inexpressibly deeeeep. Delving into it can be too much for some people.
This quote by J.C Ogelsby [sp] details it precisely - "People get lost in thought because it's unfamiliar territory" lol right? Well for one, when people, should i say, tentatively look inside themselves, they get lost and confused because it's unfamiliar, they're never been there. They are frightened, and they no longer want to look inside.
So then they go around appeasing their physical senses and material hunger, because these things don't deal with the inner being.

As Angel asked, If the body already houses the mind, why is it then necessary that they meet together? Can the body connect with the mind at all times, or does it have to search for the mind?

It's more like the mind has to search for the body. The mind is EVERYWHERE. remember what Ms. Kay said? You can never shut up your mind for more than a span of a few seconds. It's ubiquitous in life. It's always always always functioning.

Do you guys think people are afraid to face their “inner selves”? A person from another forum stated that some people are terrified of meditaiton and reflection of the Being. Why do people tend to focus outward more? Is it simply easier and more comfortable? Or are they just trying to escape dealing with the complex Being?

As Vicky already stressed, no, we are not really afraid of our inner selves. We are just “unknowing” or ignorant of our inner beings, and perhaps do not even know (we’re talking about the average human being here) about the existence of a higher being that resides within us. So basically we are mostly functioning at the surface level of life in general, never going to deep as to explore our own hearts and spirits. So perhaps it is a matter of knowing and not knowing, understanding and not understanding, perceiving and not perceiving, instead of comfortable or frightened. I don’t know for sure, though!

Hi All

Regarding this quote being discussed:

Do you guys think people are afraid to face their “inner selves”? A person from another forum stated that some people are terrified of meditaiton and reflection of the Being. Why do people tend to focus outward more? Is it simply easier and more comfortable? Or are they just trying to escape dealing with the complex Being?

It is more then escape. We don't want to die. Simone Weil understood this fear but was capable of the quality of attention to deal with it. She wrote:

"Grace fills empty spaces, but it can only enter where there is a void to receive it We must continually suspend the work of the imagination in filling the void within ourselves."
"In no matter what circumstances, if the imagination is stopped from pouring itself out, we have a void (the poor in spirit). In no matter what circumstances... imagination can fill the void. This is why the average human beings can become prisoners, slaves, prostitutes, and pass thru no matter what suffering without being purified."

"That is why we fly from the inner void, since God might steal into it. It is not the pursuit of pleasure and the aversion for effort which causes sin, but fear of God. We know that we cannot see him face to face without dying, and we do not want to die." From the Book
-- Gravity and Grace

A lot of New Age guided meditation only fills the void with imagination defeating its transcendent purpose of inner cleansing. We must protect this imaginary opinion of ourselves that denies the experience of our nothingness since it is primarily what we ARE. This is a very hard bridge to cross and takes years to become able to accomplish. Without this experience though, we can never become ourselves.

we're only truly who we are when we are without the ego mind. the ego mind is conditioning us to act and to fit into someway that we are not.

I think we are really who we are when we are with the ego mind. The ego mind is something that we possess, and we should not just eliminate it as something bad. It, along with the being, is what constitutes us. We cannot deny that. There is a reason for its existence, and as long as we learn to control it, it is useful to us, and we should embrace it. Without it, we wouldn't be who we are today, and wouldn't be whole?

A lot of New Age guided meditation only fills the void with imagination defeating its transcendent purpose of inner cleansing. We must protect this imaginary opinion of ourselves that denies the experience of our nothingness since it is primarily what we ARE. This is a very hard bridge to cross and takes years to become able to accomplish. Without this experience though, we can never become ourselves.

So you’re saying that we don’t like to face our inner selves because when we face it, our imaginary and set up opinion of ourselves that we use to perceive ourselves all along is destroyed? I agree. We all have this certain “image” of ourselves; how we consider ourselves to be, how we view ourselves. This is our sense of identity, what we hold on to go through life. However, as some of us even attempt to get in touch with our inner selves, we realize that what we’re seeing inside is not what we’d like to see, not what we have believed all along. We lose our sense of self, not knowing what is real. As people have stated previously, the ego mind, esp. in overdrive, does not like it when it has no control and is challenged. It does not like to be told that it is wrong. So it’s easier and more comfortable to live in a lie? This reminds me of the motifs of the Great Gatsby that we’re going to read … Some people can’t handle or bear with the complexity. The truth hurts sometimes, and some people are not willing to face it.

Hi Anita

Why control our ego? Why not heal it and allow it to function for the necessary purpose it has?

The ego connects our inner world with the external world. But it has become perverted and functions in an injured state. That doesn't make it evil but just sick and needing help. If we see an injured person that cannot walk properly we don't call him evil. It is the same with the ego. it is a necessary part of us that needs help.

The ego should serve to consciously connect the impressions received from our sensory, emotional, and intellectual contact with the external world to provide a whole experience. But the human condition has made it so that these impressions are not consciously connected but rather connected by imagination. Consequently we don't really experience the external world but rather imagine it through preconceptions. It is like a child in the doctors office that cringes in pain just because the doctor lifts up the needle. Nothing is experienced but rather the child is suffering from their imagination.

Before becoming able to experience the inner self, we have to first experience the outer self. How else can we separate the wheat from the tares? Plus it is only our conscious part that can do it. Simone Weil in her usual laconic fashion describes both how it can be done and how far we are from it.

"Purity is the power to contemplate defilement."

We lack this conscious purity that allows us to remain open to experience the egos defilement.

So I believe it is spiritually more beneficial to impartially become open to experience our outer self rather then using the ego's ego to imagine our inner self.

This impartiality is impartial to judgment of right and wrong. It just witnesses. This is extremely hard since we always try to interpret what we experience to make it more acceptable. Egoistic interpretation is how the sacred devolves into the secular.

There is a danger to all this inner seeing. A person can easily lose their way and adopt mindsets that are worse than when they began and harder to get rid of. That is the message of the Book of Ecclesiastes. Just be a good person. In Christianity it is called the good seed "asleep in the body."

Inner work can lead either to the Kingdom or to becoming lost in negative emotion or the "fires of hell." As has been written: "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." We have to know what we are doing.

I believe a person has to realistically experience what Simone did in order to consider transcendence beyond the confines of the earth. without that experience it is better just to be a good person and leave it at that. She wrote:

"To believe in God is not a decision we can make. All we can do is decide not to give our love to false gods. In the first place, we can decide not to believe that the future contains for us an all-sufficient good. The future is made of the same stuff as the present....

"...It is not for man to seek, or even to believe in God. He has only to refuse to believe in everything that is not God. This refusal does not presuppose belief. It is enough to recognize, what is obvious to any mind, that all the goods of this world, past, present, or future, real or imaginary, are finite and limited and radically incapable of satisfying the desire which burns perpetually with in us for an infinite and perfect good... It is not a matter of self-questioning or searching. A man has only to persist in his refusal, and one day or another God will come to him."
-- Weil, Simone, ON SCIENCE, NECESSITY, AND THE LOVE OF GOD, edited by Richard Rees, London, Oxford University Press, 1968.-

If it is enough for someone to seek happiness in the world then it is better to just be content with becoming more able to adapt to its demands. There is nothing wrong with being a good person. Otherwise all this inner work may easily become adopted by ones injured ego and just be expressed in a different form. But for this few that feel in their heart that the world doesn't lead to the experience of the "good" that satisfies its need, then they are called to transcend it. They are few but necessary for humanity as a whole.

Here is a good example of the Law of Attraction but from a perspective rarely considered and beyond the confines of the earth:

Gospel of Thomas:

(3) Jesus said, "If those who lead you say to you, 'See, the kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty."

The conscious process of becoming able to "Know Thyself" attracts a higher conscious awareness of us. In this way we become a "middle" that connects the above with the below. We attract it when our efforts are genuine. But impartial experiencing requires a conscious purity that needs to be developed which society and our own egotism seeks to prevent so as to maintain the status quo.

Welcome to Plato's Cave.