Passages Vol. 3: The Untethered Soul

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In case you haven’t noticed, you have a mental dialogue going on inside your head that never stops.

Right?

For some, it’s an inner dialogue of things they need to do. For others, it’s a constant reminder that they’re not as smart or attractive as they should be.

Where does that come from? Is it simply all in our heads?

In a word, yes!

This is the subject of Michael Singer’s insightful book, The Untethered Soul.

There is nothing more important to true growth than realizing that you are not the voice in your mind—you are the one who hears it. If you don’t understand this, you will try to figure out which of the many things the voice says is really you.

Your consciousness is actually experiencing your mental model of reality, not reality itself.

I wish someone had explained this to me as a teenager, because I’ve spent most of my life discovering it on my own.

Your inner growth is completely dependent upon the realization that the only way to find peace and contentment is to stop thinking about yourself.

That’s an easy sentence to copy; it takes a lifetime to understand.

If I had to list just one thing that I’ve learned in twenty years of mindfulness practice, it’s this: The “Self” is created by our thoughts. When we let go of thought, the Self, and all its problems, disappear.

Every authentic religion shares this truth, sometimes calling it contemplative prayer, or “resting silently and lovingly in the presence of God.”

Surrendering thought is a fundamental human need; nothing is more natural or more difficult.

Why?

Because we don’t know how to let go of thought, and we refuse to surrender “Self.”

The Self traps pyschic energy inside, causing emotional distress. Letting go of thought and the thought controlled Self, releases this energy.

You have a wellspring of beautiful energy inside you. When you are open, you feel it; when you are closed you don’t…true spiritual teachings are about this energy and how to open it.

What is more, the energy affects other people…You become a source of light for all those around you.

The power of awareness cannot be overstated. We take it for granted because it is what we are. What we are missing is how to pay attention and surrender to its wisdom.

Western cultures focus on external factors like science, technology, progress, and consumption. Eastern cultures focus more on internal factors such as personal energy, awareness, balance, and peace.

The answer isn’t either/or; it’s yes and.

If you want to be free, then every time you feel a change in energy flow, relax behind it.

A wise person remains centered enough to let go every time the energy shifts into a defensive mode. The moment the energy moves and you feel your consciousness start to get drawn into it, you relax and release.

I learned this after the scheduling of my emergency bypass surgery. It was subsequently canceled not once, but twice in as many days. A big surgery like that is hard to put out of one’s mind. Unable to sleep on the third night, I surrendered my thoughts in meditation, and afterward, fell into a deep sleep. In the morning, I awoke refreshed.

Surrender is a vital component of both religious and secular practices.

The Spiritual journey is one of transformation. In order to grow, you must give up the struggle to remain the same and learn to embrace change at all times…to free yourself of inner thorns, you simply stop playing with them.

I first read and highlighted passages in Singer’s book eighteen years ago. I don’t believe I understood much of it at the time. I needed to discover the wisdom he imparted on my own, which shouldn’t be surprising.

There is a part of our being that is beyond the personal Self…this is not a philosophy; it is a direct experience.

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