Mind Series Part 1

 The Mind Series

Part I- The Mind as Separate to Self

You may have heard the expression, “ your mind is playing tricks on you,” or “it’s all in your head.” These expressions are just another way of saying that your mind has imagined it, and whatever it is doesn’t really exist outside of your mind. The human mind is a great orchestrator of reality as well as imagination. In my last article, I discussed how quieting the mind and relishing the present moment is one of the greatest human achievements, as well as the only true experience of bliss. However, the creativity and ingenuity of the overactive mind, and how it empowers the whole human race needs further examination. 

    The mind is essentially comprised of thought processes, emotions, and psychological phenomenon. In western philosophy, the mind is considered to be identified with self, unlike eastern philosophy where the mind is believed to be separate from one’s body, but also from self. Therefore, eastern thinking is rooted in the concept that our mind is not who we are. For example, our thoughts and emotions do not define us. In theory, yes, our true sense of self is beyond the realms of psychology, and belongs to the realm of universal truth and infinite existence. However, in practice, we are bound even imprisoned by the workings of our mind. Every second of every given day, most of us are thinking without end. We are thinking of what has happened in the past, or thinking about what may happen in the future, and others are thinking and analyzing questions of why, who, and what that they will never have exact answers for. We are so accustomed to non-stop thinking that we don’t know how to stop even if we tried.

    Why should we stop thinking? Some of the mind’s many purposes is to help us survive by deciphering the external world through our senses. In order to make sense of things we use logic and reasoning, and it is this intelligence that has allowed the human species to progress further than any other on the planet. The only problem is that our intelligence is backfiring on us. We are over using our intelligence and have completely abandoned our instincts. Resulting in psychological problems which are at an all time high amongst adults as well as children. Depression, anxiety, paranoia, anorexia are all diseases of the mind. Our minds rule us, we do not rule our minds, and therefore we allow its negative manifestations to affect our lives. Prescription and recreational drugs have become the answer to many who want to escape the agony caused by their minds, and these drugs help them either numb their senses or temporarily forget their pain. Drugs and alcohol are an epidemic in our society, but the overactive mind is the main cause of their use.   

 How do we liberate ourselves from the power of the mind and its psychological grip?