being the Being. past, present & future.

Hey Angela,

I hope it is ok for me to share my thoughts on this subject.

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?

When you look at the bigger picture of what has been expressed in our culture, you may realize that humanity has been conditioned to be fearful. This was done by world leaders who realized that a fearful society was easier to control than a one that was not.

Our ego minds have been cultivated to reflect on life from the overly logical left brain that is insecure. It seeks logical proof for reality through physical thought constructs. It fears the inner self that has a high comfort level with unknown and unknowable realities.

As a result, the focus outward keeps the mind connected to the 5 senses of awareness. The 6th sense that comes into focus from within a person would unravel many in our culture. It is good if we can identify and honor that way of being as we strive to look within the self and calm the ego mind about its worldly concerns.

John

[Great job, guys! I will respond to each and every post ASAP!]

A person from an external forum pointed out a insightful point for consideration!

Rene Descartes once said the famous phrase "I think, therefore I am".
BUT, couldn’t this phrase be said the other way around? “I AM, therefore I think” ?

The same person also wrote:
The body/mind is like a computer/operating system combo. Completely useless without the operator ( Being or True Self ). A computer/OS ( Body/mind ) doesn't do anything by itself. Even tho the operator isn't a part of it, they need each other to get results. The Self feeds mind with orders, mind executes them. The place where they meet could be the computerscreen/keyboard-mouse in my analogy. The interface so to speak.
Intersting analogy to take into consideration!


Its FRIDAYand all of our minds are probably tired from this past week’s work. Therefore, do you sometimes find yourself daydreaming or just “blanking out” all of a sudden? Sometimes, it feels like you have shifted between two worlds. It is that sudden “click” that awakes you and destroys all those sweet thoughts. What is happening to the mind and the Being in such intervals? Is the ego mind releasing itself, or is it simply a transcending of physical boundaries by the Being....perhaps a shift in consiousness?

i doubt that we are transcending the boundaries into the higher being. to be more exact, we are probably just spacing out daydreaming about things that we want to me, daydreaming is a lot more like the ego mind than the higher being. when we let our minds wander into the vast world of imagination, are we not projecting a piece of our wants and desire? our imagination is simply a reflection of our inner cravings. say if i want a piece of chocolate really badly, and then i start to hallucinate about this giant hershey's chocolate that's twice of my size. i seriously think that is just my ego mind.

Therefore, do you sometimes find yourself daydreaming or just “blanking out” all of a sudden? Sometimes, it feels like you have shifted between two worlds. It is that sudden “click” that awakes you and destroys all those sweet thoughts. What is happening to the mind and the Being in such intervals? Is the ego mind releasing itself, or is it simply a transcending of physical boundaries by the Being....perhaps a shift in consiousness?

Yes, I do find myself blanking out all of a sudden, though it doesn’t happen frequently anymore (don’t have “time” to blank out, I guess, with the extremely busy schedules that we all presently have). This leads me to another thought: does blanking out/daydreaming have anything to do with the dimensions of time? Meaning, does the flow of time have an impact on daydreaming at all? Or does it just occur at irregular intervals without us even being aware of its presence? (Like dreaming – at night – except we are actually aware of our actions during these blank intervals. Or are we?). During these intervals, I think that there is quite a shift in consciousness, an awareness or alertness of one’s surroundings. But the physical body stays put, while something else flutters away. Whether it is the ego-mind or the essence, I am not certain, but I believe that a certain “transcending of physical boundaries” takes place. I think the mind shifts focus, since it is primarily with the mind that we function and are able to carry out our day to day activities. As we’ve discussed earlier on, the mind is the power that is the main driving force in our lives, an element which we cannot live without. When we blank out, our surroundings become fuzzy and we look ahead into the distant faraway place of somewhere, often not knowing what our sights are set upon. Perhaps the mind has lost its train of thought, its planning, its order. Perhaps it is resting. I do think, however, that the being has not shifted focus. It is an entity that is grounded within the body, from which the deepest intuition springs. I don’t think that the being can get lost. I believe it hovers and maintains, and does not charge, like the ego-mind does.

So there is a transcending … or, rather, an unintended departure of the mind that serves not to be a change in course, but a lingering on the path. In times of blanking out, we are perhaps in another dimension other than that of the physical and spiritual. Perhaps this dimension is empty; perhaps it does not have a purpose or a meaning. Perhaps it is just there, simply stationary and unmoving. And perhaps it is also a haven for the mind, which could possibly want to rest and hide from its own hectic schedule.

Nick, thanks for your thoughts. The part of law of attraction is especially interesting to me.

Day dreaming simply occurs and leads itself to one thing to another, probably without acknowledging the physical limitations that exist, making hypothetical situations. There are no boundaries when daydreaming? It can be spontaneous. It helps you visualize things. Is it unconscious, the mind wandering off? When daydreaming, I feel more of the unlimited potential.

"I think, therefore I am" - Yes, I do think it can be said the other way around. In fact, I agree with the other way around more. The first one implies that mind precedes being, or mind>being. But mind and being are both within us, right? Both go hand in hand.

It is that sudden “click” that awakes you and destroys all those sweet thoughts.

You can daydream about negative thoughts as well … Maybe a person wants to destroy a person or something. Oh but to that person, those are still sweet thoughts huh.

unintended departure of the mind that serves not to be a change in course, but a lingering on the path

I like that phrasing, Angel. I believe daydreaming has many benefits, including help us relax, induce creativity, help us focus later on, and more. In this form, it is similar to meditation. Yet it is still different than meditation.

Rene Descartes once said the famous phrase "I think, therefore I am".
BUT, couldn’t this phrase be said the other way around? “I AM, therefore I think” ?

Angela! Nice critical thinking there! Thinking does not necessarily mean being because being is more about feeling essence instead of thinking with science. Trees and chairs may not think the same way that human beings do--for us, they are maybe even incapable of thinking--but they DO have being and they DO FEEL. Therefore, life is not defined by thoughts and brain--because if that were the case, a myriad of organisms would not even be classfied as ALIVE--it is defined by being which constitues EVERYTHING. So, even though humans think that chairs and other solid objects are not alive, they are made up of energy which is essentially being which means that they are in a way ALIVE.

The computer and operator analogy is so cool and insightful in so many ways! Even though the computer (the mind/body) cannot function without the operator (being) guiding it and giving it infinite potential of creativity, the operator CAN actually function without the computer--but only in the nonlocal and quantum domain. Like how the operator cannot project its stored information and carry out its function without a computer, the being cannot have any physical manifestations without the body or the physical domain. Thus, the mind/body and being work together to help human beings and all things function and have infinite potential on the physical plane which we consciously live on.

AHHHHH! My laptop is running out of batteries and I left the cord in Hsinchu. Oops! I guess I'll just post a lot tomorrow and share my thoughts on everything that I find really interesting, which would be A LOT of the topics on the forum. Angela, I really like your daydreaming question! I'll be back!

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?

Referring back to your question (haha) – when we meditate, our struggling insides are silenced and the loud thoughts echoed by our minds are quieted. I don’t think that the ego-mind can ever completely disappear into nothingness (be “shut off during meditation”); it cannot be deleted from the realm of the physical body. But it can be stopped momentarily, perhaps for a while longer than just momentary. I think that the strong bond and interconnection between the individual being and the Universal Being can rise from the profound awareness of the essence itself, or it could also be the other way round. Either way, there is a correlation between the two. Once the individual actually acknowledges and begins to comprehend the existence and great power of the inner being, the being will be truly appreciated and truly heard for the first time.

"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"

Like this quote explains, the “spiritual truth” that is deep within the human soul and body is actually the inner being. The being may be momentarily forgotten, put aside, or perhaps its presence is simply unknown. It is suppressed – or, as I like to say, covered – by the ego-mind, as we already know. All we have to do is to pull out its existence.

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

The quality of the individual’s consciousness – again, this may be that of the inner being, the essence. By living in the Now, we are entrusted with the strength of the being, which further mirrors the freedom of the soul.

Yoho Angela!

Therefore, do you sometimes find yourself daydreaming or just “blanking out” all of a sudden? Sometimes, it feels like you have shifted between two worlds. It is that sudden “click” that awakes you and destroys all those sweet thoughts. What is happening to the mind and the Being in such intervals? Is the ego mind releasing itself, or is it simply a transcending of physical boundaries by the Being....perhaps a shift in consiousness?

Let me answer this question first! So, yes, there are times when I seem to just “blank” out all of a sudden. I don’t know about other people, but for me, these “blank outs” seem to happen more frequently when I’m in a quiet area. I think that these “blank outs” are results of the ego mind quieting down. This is kind of meditation – because during meditation, don’t we experience a time period in which you feel like you’re sleeping, yet you are still consciousness of yourself? I think this is what happens when we blank out. In those short moments of “quietness,” the ego mind ceases to inflict its incessant bickering into us. However, these periods tend to be short because the ego mind immediately comes back in and goes like, “what the heck was that?” And then it starts channeling its loud observations into us again. This experience, sort of reminds me of sleeping. Have you ever felt that before we actually fall asleep, there is a period that is sort of a “middle ground?” At the “middle ground,” we can either tip right back to consciousness, or succumb to our dreams. This is kind of like what happens when we “blank out.” And if these “blank outs” tip towards the “dream” side, we call them daydreams. However, if it snap right back to “reality” then we just consider them blank outs.

So what is happening when we blank out? As I’ve said in the last paragraph, I think during “blank outs” our ego minds are quiet. This experience allows us to feeling “nothingness,” as you’ve pointed out a couple of days ago. Thus, I agree that during blank outs, a shift in consciousness is happening. However, during dreams, I don’t really know what is happening. Is the ego mind really quiet during our dreams? But how come we still have nightmares then? If the Being is what dominates our dreams, then shouldn’t we dream about happy things? And why do we dream about certain things? Isn’t the Being the Truth – doesn’t it encompass everything? Then how come we dream about specific objects – such as our family, our friends, etc?

Rene Descartes once said the famous phrase "I think, therefore I am".
BUT, couldn’t this phrase be said the other way around? “I AM, therefore I think” ?

Well, there seems to be a slight difference in those two phrases. The first suggests that the mind precedes the Being – that our existence is based on our thoughts. This seems to reflect the idea that “thoughts create reality.” Then, if that is the case, I think that what the quote is really saying is that, “I think, therefore I ‘give myself an identity.’” The ego mind is what gives us our identities; it is what gives as a sense of “separation” from others. The latter phrase, though, suggests that the Being precedes the mind. The Being is the most rudimentary unit of all things in the universe. Without it, we wouldn’t survive. Therefore, I think when we put both phrases in a certain way; we can see “an order” forming.

First, “we are” – because we are a part of the universal being. Then, “we think” because we develop ego minds within each “bundle of energy.” And then, “I think” because the ego mind gives “me” and identity to set me apart from other people. Finally, “I am” because I now have an identity.

Haha….that was a bit weird. Hopefully, it was understandable.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts/comments regarding my questions! I really appreciate it! Give yourself a big pat on the back!!!

Angel wrote:I think the mind shifts focus, since it is primarily with the mind that we function and are able to carry out our day to day activities. As we’ve discussed earlier on, the mind is the power that is the main driving force in our lives, an element which we cannot live without. When we blank out, our surroundings become fuzzy and we look ahead into the distant faraway place of somewhere, often not knowing what our sights are set upon. Perhaps the mind has lost its train of thought, its planning, its order. Perhaps it is resting. I do think, however, that the being has not shifted focus. It is an entity that is grounded within the body, from which the deepest intuition springs. I don’t think that the being can get lost. I believe it hovers and maintains, and does not charge, like the ego-mind does.

Through your posts along with other posts on this forum and external forums, I think there is a gernal conclusion made that is quite similar to yours! Good job =)
The mind, as Fiona mentioned in her previous posts, is ubiquitous. It exists everywhere, and it can never be completely shut off. “Perhaps the mind has lost is train of thought” was very insightful! Perhaps we feel that “blankness” when we day- dream because, as Vicky mentioned in her post, the ego mind quiets down but only for a very short interval because it will come back again. The Being, indeed, is grounded within the body. Perhaps it is a shift – instead of change – consiousness.

Anita wrote:There are no boundaries when daydreaming? It can be spontaneous. It helps you visualize things. Is it unconscious, the mind wandering off? When daydreaming, I feel more of the unlimited potential.

When I daydream or when I spontaneously “blank” out, I feel more of the unlimited potential too! Perhaps it is kind of like meditation in a way because we feel that state of emptiness of nothingness. In meditation our ego mind is quieted becausd we are able to ignore the ego mind (leads way back to my first question =)). Therefore, the mind may be wadnering off, but in that short interval of quietness, the ego mind is quieted.

Fermin: Wow….so many smiley faces! Hahha….it shows how excited you are about this topic….am I right? =D

Fermin wrote:Therefore, life is not defined by thoughts and brain--because if that were the case, a myriad of organisms would not even be classfied as ALIVE--it is defined by being which constitues EVERYTHING. So, even though humans think that chairs and other solid objects are not alive, they are made up of energy which is essentially being which means that they are in a way ALIVE.

Exactly! Even though the physical objects in our every day lives appear to be “nonliving,” they are, as you mentioned, alive because they are made up of energy which we are all part of – the Universal energy “soup”!!! By the way, im really intersting to hear what you have to say regarding my daydream question!!

Vicky wrote:I think that these “blank outs” are results of the ego mind quieting down. This is kind of meditation – because during meditation, don’t we experience a time period in which you feel like you’re sleeping, yet you are still consciousness of yourself?

I completely agree with you! Thanks for giving me your thoughts and insights! I feel I have grown in my understanding even more! Indeed, when we meditate, there is a period of time when we don’t feel anything, yet we are still consiouss of ourselves. It is during those intervals when we can experience the interconnection of our Being to everything around us..nature, others, the universal being! As medidtation is practiced, that pecaeful state will be able to last longer. Right? But yes, the ego mind does come back, and therefore meditation allows us to calm and to “clean” ourselves from the thoughts that the ego mind bombards us with.

Vicky wrote:At the “middle ground,” we can either tip right back to consciousness, or succumb to our dreams. This is kind of like what happens when we “blank out.” And if these “blank outs” tip towards the “dream” side, we call them daydreams. However, if it snap right back to “reality” then we just consider them blank outs.

Hey! I have never really thought about this before! Inetersing view point, though! But either way, the “click” happens and we suddenly fall back to reality. Another person from an external mentioned that perhaps it is like transcending to a higher level and existence. Perhaps when our ego mind starts to chip it, we fall back to the original state where we started with. What do you you think?

Heyyyy guys!

My moderation has come to an end but everyone is still welcome to share any new ideas/thoughts related to this topic!

I really enjoyed this week’s discussion and I hope you guys have enjoyed it too!! Thanks for all those insightful replies! I have learned something new from each and every one of you!!

Another person from an external mentioned that perhaps it is like transcending to a higher level and existence. Perhaps when our ego mind starts to chip it, we fall back to the original state where we started with. What do you you think?

AGREEDDDD! This really got me thinking about what happens when we daydream...When we daydream or fantasize about life, we often think about something pleasant--a bright future or a fortunate scenario. We think that we CAN do anything, even those things that we 'know' are impossible when we are wide awake and thinking 'clearly.' While I may daydream about being a vampire or falling madly in love with a fictional character of a book, others sometimes daydream about flying or being superheroes or princes and princesses. Anyway, my point is that in our fantasies, anything is POSSIBLE. But when we pop out of fantasy land and go back to the supposed 'reality,' we once again acknowledge physical boundaries and limitations--the physical REALITY.

With these details of daydreaming, what I'm trying to say is that maybe when we are daydreaming, we are actually connecting with Essence and realizing our true infinite potential instead of being restrictedin teh the box of physical "realities." Yet, when we start to think that we are ONLY daydreaming and that the things we just htough about will NEVER be possible (also known as when the ego-mind has joined the picure), we pop out of our daydreaming state and go back to the MIND'S reality.

So, maybe daydreaming is another way to connect with the Universal Being with the ego-mind quiet?

Fermin Liu wrote:

With these details of daydreaming, what I'm trying to say is that maybe when we are daydreaming, we are actually connecting with Essence and realizing our true infinite potential instead of being restrictedin teh the box of physical "realities." Yet, when we start to think that we are ONLY daydreaming and that the things we just htough about will NEVER be possible (also known as when the ego-mind has joined the picure), we pop out of our daydreaming state and go back to the MIND'S reality.

So, maybe daydreaming is another way to connect with the Universal Being with the ego-mind quiet?

You make a very good point.

Since I am fond of using the imagination, I also see daydreaming as a means of time travel for our Essence.

I travel forward to potential future events, like a job interview, and imaging the conversation. I have traveled back to past experiences and imagined different energy exchanges between myself and another.

So yes I see it as another way to connect with the Universal Being that we are, IMO.

John

Scientific studies have discovered that meditation increases the brain size and that brain waves are altered during deep meditation. After a short meditation session, it was evident in many people that they felt that their bodies had calmed down and that they were now able to take a break from their busy lives. This is what sparked my curiosity and led me on this memorable and meaningful journey!

When we meditate, it may seem as if the ego mind has disappeared completely, but that is not the case. From the discussion on our forum, there was a general conclusion made that the ego mind is merely ignored. Instead of reacting to it and allowing it to affect our lives, we choose to not let it dominate. The ego mind is part of us, and as we previously talked about in class, it holds its own significance and meaning. Why else would it still remain to be a part of us if it did not enhance our survival? Our Being is filled with unlimited potential, therefore, it has the power to control and dominate the ego mind – it is a matter of choice. When we meditate, we neglect the existence of the ego mind and allow ourselves to dwell in the world of our Being. We step out of the ego mind and feel the interconnectivity between us and the Universal Being – the blissful sensation of living and focusing on the NOW.

Just like appreciating poetry, there is not always a message or something that an individual has to try to search for in meditation. If we to focus too much on thoughts such as “when will I feel the bliss?” or “am I supposed to feel this way…?,” it will prevent us from fully experiencing the essence of our Being because one may simply be reacting to the ego mind and allowing it to go into overdrive. The thoughts of the ego mind inhibit us from completely experiencing the essence.

The ego mind is what causes the stress in an individual. As Vicky discussed on her thread, the ego mind enhances survival by motivating and alerting the individual to escape danger or to fight for one’s life. The ego mind tends to manipulate our emotions to enhance our survival – by constantly referring back to the past or grasping onto what is known – and we sometimes overreact. The ego mind is a tool and what we are reacting to are merely thoughts. Therefore, one of the reasons why emotions such as stress feel less obstructive and more motivational during meditation is because the ego mind, as mentioned before, is temporarily ignored. We are able to live in the NOW and fully experience the vastness of the Being. The ego mind is not able to play its little mind games of what might happen in the future to cause fear or stress. Rather, that obstructive character has quieted down and let the motivational Being guide the way!



As technological developments increase and society changes, there seems to be less brain and body work because the mechanical machines can get the same work done. People also seem to focus outward more than they focus inward. The Being is does not disappear in such circumstance – because the Being simply IS – but rather, the ego mind is dominating. Individuals become more egocentric and a boundary-line is developed between “me” and “you.” The ego mind demands newness and sparks the desire to want to own luxuries that will make one’s own life better. On the surface, one exists as a separate entity, but the existence of the Being that is grounded within each and every individual cannot be denied – there is no beginning or an end! Looking inward and focusing on the inner Being, as Angel mentioned, does take great amounts of courage. One simply has to want to focus inward and begin that journey. That journey cannot be experienced by anyone other than the individual. Focusing too much on external forces may cause the Being to be forgotten and its infinite potential hidden. We are the Truth and we are the playmakers to our own lives!

As we have previously discussed in class, the ego mind is afraid of the unknown because it does not have something tangible to grasp onto. Relating back to this discussion, the ego mind does not feel comfortable dealing with the inner Being because it is afraid of its complexity and its unknown. As Fiona quoted J.C Ogelsby, “People get lost in thought because it’s unfamiliar territory.” The ego mind is frightened to venture into the world of our Being, therefore, it inhibits and limits us from experiencing the interconnection and essence with the Universal Being. We are WHOLENESS even if we do not appear to be on the physical domain. The existence of our inner Being as no beginning or end, therefore, the interconnection to form oneness with the Universe and to possess unlimited potential is infinite! Just as Nick_A said, “The conscious process of becoming able to “Know Thyself” attracts a higher conscious awareness of us.”

We are not separated into parts because we are part of the whole. The mind, body, and inner Being exists hand in hand, and it is what makes you YOU! There was a discussion made regarding meditation and daydreaming or phases of “blanking out.” In both processes, the ego minds seems to be quieted down and we tend to experience feelings of emptiness of nothingness. We drift away into unconsciousness knowing that we “click” back into the original state we were in. As Edwin (from Project Meditation Forum) says, “You allow your thoughts some freedom, like you would take away the leash of a dog to let it play for free for some time. You only allow your dog this freedom knowing that when you call him back to the leash he will obey!” There is no “on” or “off” button for our ego mind. We simply allow the coexistence of our Being and our ego mind to function on a basis that will form a harmonious whole! The wholeness of our existence is unchangeable because it is what grounds our existence. We possess the ability to interconnect with everything and to continuously feel essence with the Being, yet, it seems as if we are physiologically incapable of being this open to the unknown. Our ego mind chips in and the chain of essence is broken. Yet, we have the potential to remove the protective layers of “skins” that covers the inner Being. It is not an easy process because the world of the Being is unknown and complex, but awareness should be raised that we, indeed, can transcend physical boundaries to receive and experience truth and beauty of our Being. Just as Meister Eckhart once said, “A human being has so many skins inside, covering the depths of the heart. We know so many things, but we don’t know ourselves! Why, thirty or forty skins or hides, as thick and hard as an ox’s or bear’s, cover the soul. Go into your own ground and learn to know yourself there.” 