I saw a statistic the other day, and it referred to an estimate by someone who is a big boss in the mind-field (just a little pun) of brains and thinking and “consciousness”.
Consciousness is a big word that I don’t really get, I prefer to use the word “awareness”.
Awareness is what you notice.
You can notice anything. These words. The background around these words. The space around the background. Sound. The feel of your body as it presses into whatever is pressing into the earth.
Noticing. What you notice grows in significance.
Most of the time all people notice is their thoughts. Every now and then there is a widening of that, a broadening of attention, but humans spend a lot of time in their heads.
There was a famous philosopher, Descartes. He has a famous phrase: “I think, therefore I am”.
Although that’s about all I know about the man, I never met him, and maybe he was mistranslated, but I would say he’s wrong.
You are aware, therefore you are, you exist. Thoughts are neither here nor there to the fact of your existence.
If you can be aware of your thoughts, perhaps you aren’t them? Perhaps you are that which is aware, which notices?
Hmmmm… muy interesante, no?
Anyway, the statistic said that people are generally only aware of 10% of their thoughts. The rest are at a subconscious or unconscious level.
That means if you are a normal human, 90% of what you think sneaks through, under the radar. You are not aware of it.
If you aren’t aware of it, you have no choice.
Do you see?
If you have no choice, it becomes the truth. It changes your reality.
This is important - the mind isn’t as logical and friendly as you would like to think it is.
It says some random stuff, depending on your mood, and in unawareness it affects you. If you’ve ever struggled with say, depression, like I have, you’ll know that black dog your mind turns into.
But if you are aware of it - it doesn’t need to be the “truth”.
Your thoughts can be optional. If you notice them they can be like a conversation you hear on a train, or in an elevator - perhaps interesting, but ultimately separate from you.
The moral of the story is become aware. Notice what your thoughts are saying to you.
Spend time every day closing your eyes and coming to a greater state of awareness.
You can just count your thoughts if you like - what a wonderful little tool to create a little bit of space between you and it.
If you know Ascension meditation, introduce your techniques from there and reap the benefits of greater awareness.
In awareness you have choice. In awareness you can be free from the negativity of your own mind.
Well worth being.
Go well.
- Arjuna
PS. Ascension meditation course is go - 15-17 April (Richmond, North Yorkshire - begins 7pm on the Friday). £200 for the whole superb, repeatable for free forever, weekend.
Let me know if you want in. Be quick about it though, you don’t want to miss out.