Awareness 101

If the universe and everything in it is a projection of the mind, then everything apparently outside of the mind is unreal. There are mind-blowing implications that result from accepting this concept. For one, it means that life as we perceive it through the senses is only being thought of in the mind, and thus everything we feel is also in the mind. This also means that nothing at all is actually happening except in the mind.

In addition to this, while every mind experiences what it chooses to of life, one of the reasons we tend to perceive the same external, physical reality is because there is only one mind. There is no other explanation possible for our shared experience outside of how we react to what happens in it. Nevertheless, even if the world we see is a similar projection among us all, how we experience it is entirely based on beliefs about the self. These beliefs are the basis for our emotions, and the various ways we proceed through life that we use to describe ourselves as individuals.

Yet, if nothing is actually happening in our so-called external reality, than what are we experiencing? We’re experiencing whatever the mind chooses to create for us, and given that the mind must then exist as a conscious entity outside of our external perception, the mind is not in space or time; it’s in thought.

Now consider that if the mind is in thought, then not only is nothing happening in a physical sense, but nothing is happening outside of thought itself. This raises the question: Why do we appear to be ‘somewhere’ in space and time, if the mind creating us isn’t?

This is where the argument requires a leap of faith in an unified, creative source that represents the one mind of which we are all a part. It doesn’t really matter what it’s called; God, the all-seeing, all-knowing mastermind, the Source; if there is only one mind, then it can only be comprehended through the mind itself, and not through the senses.

This is the reason increasing self-awareness is important. It’s the one route to discovering that the difference between existing solely in the illusion of an external reality, and existing solely in the truth of an internal awareness, is strictly a matter of belief. Heaven, Nirvana, Valhalla, Shangri-La; all represent a state of mind, and achieving it is why we have faith in the first place.

Something in our thoughts constantly reminds us that there is more to what we see in life. We not only tend to want to believe it, most of just accept it as true. Why do we have this strong drive to believe in something beyond external perception? It’s not because we want to live forever; it’s because we already do, and we’re trying to remember the fact.

Reality as experienced by the body is a dream of the mind. Were our minds fully aware, we would immediately recognize that we are already in heaven, or nirvana, or any place you care to name that symbolizes not only the afterlife, but the mind’s spiritual origin, as well. The true reality is that we have never left where the mind is; we only think we have.

One aspect of increasing self-awareness is understanding how to return to full acceptance of the mind’s reality, and in so doing wake up to the truth of our existence. How we approach achieving that will be the subject of another post.

Ego vs. Spirit

If the Universe is a projection of the mind, then what is the nature of our existence, and how do we perceive it? First, it helps to understand that perception is a result of what’s going on in the mind, and not of anything that appears to be outside of it. There isn’t any distinction to be made between thoughts and external stimuli; they’re the same thing. What we perceive of the world seemingly outside of the self is created by the mind. If that seems dubious, consider that in a dream state the eyes are generally closed, yet a dream is still ‘seen’. That’s because it’s the mind doing the seeing, not the eyes. The same thing is happening during periods of wakefulness - eyes are not receptors for seeing what’s separate from the self - they’re projectors for seeing what’s inside of it.

It’s taken for granted that the mind interprets what the senses perceive, but the truth is subtler. Yes, the mind chooses what to sense, but it’s already decided what that will be before its sensed anything. In other words, projecting as well as interpreting so-called external stimuli is strictly a matter of choice; all perception is created with the mind. What’s created and how that’s understood depends on beliefs about life, and about the self. Where do the projected stimuli come from? From the two sources of beliefs: the ego self, which comprises most conscious thinking, as well as all unconscious fears; and the spirit self, the part of the mind that guides behaviour based on love, morals, and individual truth.

Both belief systems are within the same mind, but they differ greatly in their goals. Ego is intent on having us envision a world of struggle, dissatisfaction, and disharmony, a place where we must fight to master our fate, only to perish after all the effort. In marked contrast, spirit wants us to grow in awareness, see the true nature of existence, and accept the immortality of the self.

Why immortal? There’s plenty of evidence that people do transcend physical existence, even though they may still appear to be in it. Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tzu, and many others provide examples that the body is but a result of the mind’s awareness, and therefore only the mind exists. These were people who fully grasped the concept of a single, unified consciousness, and were able to exist in the mind of the spirit alone. Ego disappears when unconscious beliefs are corrected to reflect the belief system of the spirit self, and fear ceases to be a driving force of thought or behaviour.

How do we interpret truth from everything else? Anything not of God (my choice of metaphor for the One Self, or unified consciousness), or in other words, not created with love, is unreal. God is incapable of creating anything outside of love or truth, since God is the spiritual embodiment of both. Thus, anything that is seen as less than loving or truthful is illusion, since God cannot have created it in the first place. This is something of a leap of faith for many people, but as most of us have some belief in a higher power, it’s not difficult to conceive. It may be difficult to accept, but that’s up to individual experience, and the beliefs of the self to decide upon.

Believing in God or a unified consciousness isn’t a prerequisite to understanding the illusory nature of so-called physical reality; modern science has other explanations for the same concept. For example, it’s common knowledge that all energy is composed of atoms, and that matter is energy transformed. It’s also been proven that atoms are not always fixed in place; they zip into and out of planes of existence regularly. The upshot of this is that everything apparently physical is in a constant state of flux. This makes perfect sense when you consider that the power of creative thought, which is responsible for the transformation of energy into form, is also continually in a state of flux. Nothing is as it seems other than beliefs determine it be one thing or another, and even then nothing remains permanently one thing or another. Everything is changing all the time.

If a person could see only the atomic structure of the physical world, all form would disappear; only energy would be present. This alone is proof that physical reality is not in fact ‘real’ at all, and only exists because the beliefs of the mind sustain it. Change one’s beliefs, and ‘reality’ changes to mirror them.

If beliefs dictate what we experience of the ‘physical’ world, how do we choose which ones serve us best? You only need examine the way your life is going to answer that question. Are you constantly wishing things were different? Do you want things you cannot have? Do you look for happiness to come from others? Do you get upset when others don’t meet your expectations? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you’re following the beliefs of the ego self. The world seems like a place of mishaps, pain and emotional drama.

Conversely, if you’re happy, accept yourself and others easily, give to receive, and understand that love really does make the world go around, then you’re likely experiencing life from the belief system of the spirit self. Life is joyous, supportive, enriching, and rewarding.

The choice you make to follow the limiting dictates of ego, or focus on the greater awareness of spirit, determines the life you create, and reflects the beliefs of either self. Listen to your heart, and you’ll know which one will serve you best.