Are you beating your heart? Or is it happening on its own?
Are you thinking your thoughts? Or is it happening on its own?
One of these is involuntary and the other is supposedly voluntary. You know which one is which. But is that really the case? Are you in control? Do you feel in control? Let’s do a small test shall we? Just spare 15-20 seconds of your precious time, close your eyes and don’t think of any thoughts.
Mind you, any noise in the head during this point (which includes “how many seconds are left?” or “This guy is crazy, what’s this bulls**t?” or “one, two, three….,fifteen”) means you failed because you promised to remain thoughtless. So this will require a bit (lot) of honesty on your part. Ready? Go.
*After 20 long seconds*
How did you do?
Surprised? Don’t beat yourself up. You’re not alone. That doesn’t make it any better, but still. At least you know the situation.
In this article, I wanted to educate you on what exactly the current situation is of the average human and what we’re trying to achieve through meditation. By the end of it, why meditation is important will become pretty self explanatory really. I trust your intelligence.
So fight your mental commentary and restlessness and give me 300 seconds of your precious attention.
Thoughts and Feelings
In the previous article, we touched upon thoughts and feelings. I’ll go through that briefly again here for a bit of context. Thoughts are the language of the brain. Without any disrespect, they are noises inside your head. Let’s call it voice out of respect. Or even better, they are vibrational energy which means they carry a frequency (hence you can hear it in your head) and they carry information (“I am hungry”, “I am horny”, “blah…blah blah”).
Quite similar to how you can’t visibly see the WiFi or mobile data signals but they’re there and communicating with the router/mobile device to give you internet access.
Feelings or emotions are the chemical end products of an experience in your life. They are the language of the body. Every time you experience something, your body releases certain chemicals depending upon the experience and that chemistry is called emotions. They are the sensations you feel in your body. Anger, love, guilt, resentment etc.
Now, the body is quite objective and doesn’t differentiate between good and bad emotions. It’s all the same. When you have a strong (or frequent) emotional reaction because of a life event, the body makes a note of that chemistry. More profound the experience, the stronger the emotion. That feeling gets stored in the body and it becomes a subconscious program with time if it wasn’t let out.
Usually childhood memories form a lasting impression and it gets stored in the subconscious mind because the thinking brain hasn’t developed fully yet. So there is no filter to your experience, it goes straight in.
In case you didn’t know, the subconscious mind is 95% of your brain and your thinking brain is just 5%. You walk, talk and think subconsciously 95% of the day, like a set of programs running on auto mode (walking, driving a car etc.).
I hope I haven’t lost you yet. Come on, take a conscious breath, this is a meditation article after all. Felt good? Good.
Think-Feel Loop
Now, you can never think greater than how you feel. The body and mind always work for one another. To fuel the chemistry that the body craves, the brain thinks thoughts to keep that feeling lingering in your body.
You’re not controlling all this. A habit is when the body knows how to do something better than the mind. The body becomes the mind, it demands the chemistry. It’s all happening subconsciously, so your decisions and outlook towards life are always seen through this veil.
Remember, you never see things the way they are, you always see things the way you are.
Now, when you have a fearful or angry experience in the past which caused an emotion in your body, the brain makes a note of it. It makes a note of the nature of the external situation that caused the corresponding internal chemistry.
To create the desired chemistry it will constantly think thoughts of a similar nature, to keep the feeling alive. And before you know, you find yourself in similar situations.
Now you would argue that you don’t have as many thoughts directly relating to fear or the problem at hand. Your mind must be saying “Why would this be a problem? I sometimes think good thoughts and I enjoy it.”
The problem is not whether it is a positive thought or an intrusive thought. The problem here is that it is happening on its own. And the bigger problem is that, most humans don’t even know that it is happening, we are so identified with the voice in our head that we think that is who we are.
But they are just your thoughts. What is yours can never be you.
If you own a car, would you ever say “I am my car. My name is Mercedes”? Do you agree that would be insane?
When your external situations are good and you are distracted, the thoughts are positive and hence it goes unnoticed (quite like your breath) and you kind of enjoy being inside your head. But when your external situations go bad or you get tired of the distractions/pleasures unless you keep fueling them again and again (but even that may not last), then the internal commentary always goes back to the default nature – fueling unresolved emotions that are part of the subconscious.
That is too much power being given to the outside world, which may or may not always be as per your liking.
The Generous Present Moment
The brain is a record of the past. Period.
Don’t mistake memory for intelligence. True genius never comes from the brain, it comes from a far deeper place. Do you think Messi thinks when he plays? Trust me, there is no time to think, even if it may seem so on TV.
This is not saying that you should abandon thinking. Hell no, thinking is what makes you human. It is your gift, a marvel of nature. Think when it is necessary and needed. Not compulsively. And when you consciously think and this brain is connected with the deeper you, your ideas will be far brighter. That is true innovation.
Everything that you know so far is from the past. Everything that you are thinking right now is from the lens of the past. I repeat, the brain is a record of the past and thus a record of society.
If you think you have to get married at a certain age then it is because of what you know from the past, right? If everyone around you got married at the age of 50, you would also strive to get married around that time, right?
If you’re afraid of being rejected at something, it’s because you have been rejected in the past and that feeling lingers on.
If I’m afraid of getting injured, it’s because I’ve been injured in the past and the body remembers it and my thoughts keep reminding me of it. And surprise surprise, I have more injuries.
Tell me something, if humans, or rather the thinking brain did not exist, would there even be the concept of past-present-future on Earth?
No, it would all exist just in this one beautiful eternal moment. Your life is happening right now, as you read this text, as you breathe the air around you and your heart beats. Everything else, only exists in your minds.
Be the Observer
The main role of meditation is to step out of the mind, to disassociate from the constant stream of thought, from the past and be present in this moment which is all you ever have.
Pay attention to what is real, what is present in this moment. Close your eyes for a minute and just intently listen to every sound around you. Listen to the silence underneath the noise. You can’t think and truly pay attention to something both at the same time.
Come on. Do it, please? Meditation is a practice, not a philosophy. These words mean nothing if not acted upon. Consciously decide to do it.
*after 20 seconds*
Don’t label the noise that you’ve heard. If you hear a definition or concept or any comment creeping in then that’s your mind, your untrained mind. In fact, congratulations if you heard a definition coming in and identified it. You just recognized your mind. This is your first step towards awakening from the voice in your head.
Want to try again? Trust me, I’m doing this too when I write this. This time listen intently to begin with and then pay attention to your breath, how the air moves in and out of you, involuntarily. Appreciate the beauty of it, the simplicity of it. Afterall, that is your life.
I hope it felt good.
Do an experiment. Whenever you take a walk or you’re traveling to work or you’re waiting for something just notice your mind activity. And ask yourself, is thought really required at this point?
Notice how your mind wants to be occupied all the time and how restless it gets when you try not to think. Isn’t it strange?
Attention! If meditation had to be summed up in one word then ‘attention’ would be it. You pay attention to yourself. You get to know yourself. As you start meditating you start paying attention to your thoughts. You become the observer of your thoughts rather than your thoughts.
You will be amazed at the clutter that is happening inside your head and you will start noticing patterns of thoughts coming up.
Don’t fight it, just identify it. You can’t fight darkness. Be the light and the darkness disappears on its own. Your consciousness, the observer is the light.
This will take time, dedication and consistency.
These thought patterns are fueling underlying emotions that haven’t been dealt with fully. As you calm the voice in your head, you isolate these emotions in your body and cut the think-feel loop. This is the beginning of you breaking the chains of the past.
Yes it will get difficult because old emotions will surface, things you wouldn’t have guessed. If it gets difficult and painful then understand that it is meant to be this way. It needs to come out.
You can distract yourself all you want. You can deal with it now, 10 years from now or on your deathbed. But living with a foot in the past is no way to live. You will never live fully. The true genius in you will never surface. To live without experiencing that dimension of life is such a shame.
I’m not on the other side completely either. I’m sitting through the fire as I write these words and these words come from that deeper place. This is me consciously using my intellect and combining it with the deeper dimension.
I’m working on it everyday and it gets a little clearer each day. But I can feel the spaciousness in me grow, I can feel myself getting free from the programming of the mind. And with a less cluttered mind, I can feel my attention and effectiveness in tasks improve many folds. I can feel the creativity and genius in me flow.
Everything is Meditation
Unknowingly everyone has moments of thoughtlessness throughout the day and in their lifetime and it is those moments that we enjoy the most.
When you watch a beautiful sunset that your mind can’t put a label on or when you’re engaged in sports or dancing or anything that involves you completely in the present moment. For some people cooking is meditative because it engages them completely.
Yes the activity is amazing, but it is not the activity in itself that is the magic. If that were the case it would be the same for everyone. It is you, it has been you all along.
Why do you feel so good in nature? Because the same still dimension in you is also present in them. And it breaks you out of your thought process momentarily and you feel the aliveness in you through nature. Or when you play with a puppy or a baby.
Imagine living that way all the time.
Don’t confuse meditating with simply sitting still. That’s just the starting point. Think of it as a mental gym that you visit to train your mind. It is tougher than going to the gym because the results are not physically seen, but trust me, you will know.
Nor do you have to become a monk. The way technology has evolved, so have the general sentiments, approach and preconceived notions towards meditation. You can be still on the inside, and be whatever you want on the outside.
This is not something that can be forced upon you, nor can it be done compulsively. Because you can always decide to sit with your eyes closed and not do it. The invisibility of the process demands honesty, patience, self love and a sense of acceptance on your part.
Not everyone is ready for this plunge of evolution. Maybe you’re not either, and that’s ok. But you know this now. It is impossible to not know something once your mind has absorbed some piece of information with full attention. Revisit it once you feel you’re ready for it.
True change can only occur from inside, not from outside.
Take some time to explore yourself, to get to know the consciousness that is you. If my word means anything to you, it will be the greatest thing to have ever happened to you.
If you think you’re doing well, imagine how unstoppable you will be once you’ve mastered your mind and how much of an impact you can have on the world around you, which is afterall a reflection of your inner self.
As you start this journey, it is natural to only have limited focus and attention. Be patient and kind to yourself. Start off with a few minutes, maybe 10. Focus on things that are in the present moment. Focus on your breath, focus on your sensory perceptions, without labeling it with your mind. Focus on the silence amidst the noise, be alert to it.
If you need help on getting started then get in touch with me or someone that you know who meditates. Help will always arrive when you need it. If you really want something, you will always find a way. But you probably know this by now!
Now you know why they say “life is a gift, enjoy the present.” That’s all you ever had, have and will have.
Wake up from the voice in your head. The world needs the real you. The world needs your genius, your consciousness. Get off the ferris wheel of your mind and come back to life.
Ignorance isn’t bliss. Ignorance is a choice. And I hope you’re the one making that choice.
Now go out there and live your life with this new sense of aliveness. Remember, everyone dies, but not everyone lives. Smile beautiful soul, you got this!
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INPUTS – DO NOT INCLUDE IN BLOG
This is an extreme example, but imagine a terrorist’s psyche who has been brought up or rather programmed in a certain way. It’s not about right or wrong here, that is just how he was programmed. He is unconscious, his mind does not have any free will. His subconscious has been programmed, almost like a robot.
The brain is often compared to a super-computer and that analogy is fair. It is the most sophisticated computer out of all other super computers and the world as we know it has emerged.
But as civilization advances, the thinking brain becomes stronger and more things want our attention. And that’s amazing, but when you give away your power to externalities then you’re really at the mercy of life situations. And life is full of ups and downs. That is just how the nature of it is.
Maybe today you are in a good place so you have happy thoughts. But say tomorrow something not so good happens that really affects you. Then what? The mind feeds more on negativity than positivity. It’s a frequency thing.
The Present Moment
Well, if I had to sum up meditation in one word, that word would be attention. Attention on what? To pay attention to yourself – your thoughts and your feelings.
The human brain is a marvel of nature. It is because of our extremely powerful thinking brain (the neocortex) that we are the most dominant species in the world.
It is our ability to think, our ability to memorize and our ability to project the future. But tell me something, if humans did not exist in this world, or rather, the thinking brain did not exist in this world, would there be the concept of past, present and future? Would the concept of time in that sense exist.
No, there would just be one moment, the one where life actually happens. It is this moment, the present moment. Not what will happen a minute from now, not what happened a minute ago, but just this moment right here, as you read this text, this is it. This is life, your breath, your heartbeats. You may have a life situation – a spouse, a house, a job; but they just exist in your mind at this moment. Life is and always has been happening at this generous present moment.
Why do you think it is called present? Because you have to be present, you have to be the presence. Life is a gift, enjoy the present.
Eventually the society doesn’t need to insert a chip in your head. There already is one, they just need to program it.
Be the Observer – The Being
What happens inside our body and mind when we decide to sit still? What does sitting still even mean? Simply closing your eyes and being in a stationary position?
What about your mind? Is your mind still? Is your mind here? In the now? Or is it
Nature doesn’t waste anything. Our thoughts and feelings have an impact on our reality. We have been given a thinking neocortex for a reason. That is what makes us human.
Emotions or feelings are the end product of an experience. Anger, sadness, happiness, guilt, anxiety are all emotions that we feel as a result of life events. Each emotion has a specific chemistry that is created within our body. The stronger the emotion, the more intense the chemical reaction. These emotions or specific chemistry is remembered by the body, it craves them.
What is a habit? A habit is when a body knows how to do something better than the mind. In short, the body has become the mind. It is able to do something on its own through repetition. Like walking or driving the car, it has done it enough times that it can do it on its own, while you think or listen to music.
An emotion isn’t any different. The body has become the mind. Let’s take anger for example. Maybe you felt intense anger because of your significant other. The incident is long over but the body is habituated to anger now the chemistry of it.
In a subconscious state (which is 95% of your brain btw), your mind can never think greater than how it feels. To keep the subconscious anger show going in your body, your mind create angry thoughts which further feed the feeling.
Eventually, you’re likely to find yourself in a situation where being angry is the natural response. It was your mental commentary in conjunction with the feelings that felt in you that create your personality, your personal reality.
Now, the thing that caused that emotion to begin with (your better half in this example) is long gone, but the residual chemistry lingers. And now you are an angry person and you’re wondering how and why. That’s how and why.
Sure, you can mask these feelings with distractions and pleasures. But it is going to spill into your life, subconsciously in the things you do, with the people you interact with and the life situations that you find yourself in.
The feelings and emotions trapped in you need to be dealt with and liberated. You can either do it now, 10 years from now or on your deathbed. That choice is yours. If you think it gets better and easier with time then do that. I trust deep down you know the truth.
We all know the importance of meditation and what the benefits are to the body and mind. But I wanted to shed a bit of light on what exactly is the logic or science behind it.
But before we get into the sitting still part, let’s talk a bit about thoughts, feelings and emotions. They might sound like abstract concepts, but it’s science really.
It’s universe
Sitting still
Observe your thoughts
What is reality?
The thought sends the signal out and the feeling draws the experience back to you
Emotions are energy
Thoughts are vibrations
I ask you, is ignorance really bliss? No my friend, ignorance is a choice.
Wake up. The world needs more conscious human beings.
So if you had a drowning experience, your brain makes a note that water caused the fear. Finally, survival is always the priority of any living being and the brain does that creating a fear response. Now while the drowning experience may have long gone, the fear still lingers in the body.
And while the fear of drowning is imprinted in the body, it doesn’t stop there. The brain innovates and makes you fearful in general
Think of a deer that just had a near death experience and got away from a tiger. Within a matter of seconds it goes back to eating. Because other species’ neocortex (the thinking brains) aren’t developed. There is nothing to feed the chemistry. Animals deal with it in the moment and move on.
In the evolutionary sense, the human brain was a magnificent tool that allowed humans to get an edge, quite literally. They could remember the past, understand their shortcomings and make amends (tools, fire etc.). The rest, as they say, is history.
But as time moved on, our survival has been taken care off pretty much. Our biggest problem nowadays is that Whatsapp or Instagram isn’t working or the restaurants are closed, you get the gist.
This highly evolved thinking brain doesn’t have much to protect you from. And trapped energy in the form of emotions is taken as a sign that it is a desirable outcome that is needed for survival. An idle mind is a devil’s workshop. It will create thoughts to fuel the feelings in your body. And worse, it will subconsciously affect your choices.
This process was a wonderful tool in the evolution of humans as it allowed
The Human Brain
Let’s decipher this further, starting with the human brain because it plays a very important part in this entire chemical equation happening inside our body.
The human brain is a marvel of nature. It is often compared to a computer, and rightly so. Afterall, all the technology that you see in the world today has come out of it. It processes information, consciously and subconsciously, all the time.
Do I really need to think about my problems or what I’m going to cook once I reach home or any of the 70,000 thoughts that an average human has on a daily basis.
You will anyways do what you’re supposed to do once you reach that moment. It doesn’t need to be played out in your head. That’s future through the lens of the past.
