Leave them alone and they will leave you alone. I will not sell or distribute your email address to a third party at any time. Life changing moment. I am a bit lost after your reply. You suffer, not because anger or sadness is present, but because you mistake temporary states as being who you are. “… You’ve told me that “You are not your thoughts” something I am trying to grasp still. But think of it logically, You can only be one of two things. 5 - excited. They are just a part of a happening, part of a process. We affirm that since we are the experiencer of the thought, they must be true. Check out this free 4-Part Video Workshop with Eckhart Tolle, who speaks with such wisdom and clarity on the topic of awakening. This is the disease. You personalise them and suffer as a result. So, it really doesn’t exist as a single “thing.” It exists as part of a system – as part of the universe. In fact, psychologists say that 95% of your thinking occurs at the level of the subconscious, leaving just 5% that you are actually aware of. But this mental division, creates the illusion that the world contains separate things, when it does not. And doesn’t that enrich your experience of life so much! You wouldn’t be free of them even for a single moment. Richard, You would be directionless like an empty zombie not knowing what you want or dont want. Let’s take a closer look. I am at this present time suffering from a period of mental turmoil,anxiety, and feelings of hopeless . This is the delusion. You become aware that, “there is the mind doing it’s thing and here am I, watching.”. Thanks for that Abe. The only thing that makes an emotion positive or negative is mental commentary. I was in a spiritual organisation many years ago who taught that all you have to do to be spiritually awake is to never entertain your thoughts, feelings etc. The passing traffic (ie the thoughts, feelings, emotions that come and go) or the awareness that is aware of it. If the dice lands on 1, then you are happy. Fantastic post. Two very different answers, right? They are known only to you. Really simply, if I’m not my thoughts and emotions, who or what am I? Expansive? The universe is a system. It struck me for the first time in 1997, after reading “The Power Of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. Furthermore, without our unconscious, conditioned thinking patterns we are able to do our day-to-day activities no problem—or engage in a conversation. Key Bible Verse: Proverbs 23:7. "The first thought that goes through your mind is what you have been conditioned to think. If all of those things go away, who are you? Because it’s even confusing to me typing it out. It can be alluded to or pointed at but not expressed. Just empty. It has no preferences and remains unaffected by whatever thoughts pass through. The observation is order from thought, the feeling turns into observation with thought. The point is this: We set an arbitrary definition that life begins on the birthday. (affiliate link). Claire Weekes in her book “Self Help For Your Nerves” describes these thoughts as “Tired thoughts in a tired mind” – this is a wonderfully simple description You are not the signal, but the receiver of the signal. Thank you Shilpan. Now, what did that flower need to grow? Just enjoy the moment, whatever passing feelings are there… whether happy or sad. Here are my thoughts on this, and I would like others to share. And a lot of regular, everyday people who have meditated and noticed what their consciousness is doing, and seen the truth of life: That is, the self-image that we unconsciously build does not have to control our lives. It involves body chemistry, hormones, neurons, the gut etc. This is spiritual bypassing. You do not have to go along with every thought that comes and let it take centre stage. They appear by themselves, apparently out of nowhere, linger in your awareness for a moment or two and then disappear again— like clouds passing across the sky. Look forward to exploring more of your work! Does that make sense? And the idea of myself came back too. 4 - you are jealous. There is still quite some work to do, to keep practicing observing thoughts and moving away from the old conditioned mind pattern. Hi Andrew, In my experience, not identifying with the drama in my head doesn’t make me emotionless or lacking in empathy for others. You can always take a moment to be mindful and become aware of what you are playing on the stage of your mind. As Eckhart Tolle so wisely wrote, “…the past gives you an identity and the future holds the promise of salvation, of fulfillment in whatever form. Most of which you did not design consciously. View my privacy policy. The notion that you’re not your thoughts could provide you with an excuse for not taking responsibility for the negativity within ie to spiritually bypass. When I realised a couple years ago that I was not my thoughts I felt liberated from my mind. Thoughts are many, awareness is one. It is one. How would you describe the ‘you’ that remains? They are temporary events arising in awareness. What does it feel like? How does a tiger hunt without thinking? You are grown now. It has no beginning or end. The idea that you can watch the mind and therefore can’t be it, is a game changer for every spiritual aspirant. Thoughts changes frequently. As God looks down upon us, we only understand our little world, but never all the complexities of His. It is something (that’s not a thing) that cannot be expressed through words. You have no idea what the next thought will be. If you start thinking something that takes you out of your place of joy (or just generally makes you feel bad), then realise they’re just thoughts, spontaneously arising. Oops, one last question I had that I forgot to add to my first comment is if we are not our thoughts (slowly grasping that) then how do we move through our day when many things may fall under “what should I do today” which may be based on an emotion? Or choose to live in the moment at all times, and do away with the patterns a self-image creates altogether. It’s arbitrary that the diameter of the sun is limited by its visible fire. You are the awareness of your awareness. Say, your GF who you love so much is screaming at you, you notice the anger and sadness in you arising, so you observe it, don’t name them. Both are illusions.” I discovered that I am not who I think I am. Happy thoughts appear, sad thoughts appear but awareness itself doesn’t change. I’ve been reading up on your website for a few months now and I must say: you are quite an inspiration! When your ego is silent, as with deeper meditation, you can observe your ego. The mother? Eckhart Tolle says “you are not your thoughts” because when we are in observation of our mind, you are the observer OF your thoughts, not the other way around. Nothing on this planet, in this universe, exists as a thing. Good question Triselle. The spiritual teacher Papaji said: “Don’t be a person in love. hi Denise, Let’s take a closer look. More accurately, it blew apart my ideas of what I thought the mind was. And yes, all you need to do is notice them … notice how they arise from nowhere, linger for a bit and then pass on. First, find a comfortable position. I wrote a thought. Almost like eating a tasty pizza and not being able to enjoy its taste fully. A system. If you are not your thoughts. The notion that you are not your thoughts is a radical one. …”. 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