The Mind
In a very real way we are what we think, therefore our growth is very much tied to our minds. When we have a fuller understanding of what our minds are and how they work, what thoughts are and how they are manifested and interrelate as well as their relationship to our emotions we can be more direct in resolving our challenges. This approach can yield better results more quickly.
Our Mental House Part 5: The Affects of Our Thoughts
In the course of my writings, I have examined how our mind works and how this affects every aspect of our lives. In particular, the programming of our minds affects not only what we think and feel, it is the key factor in how we perceive reality and in determining the state of our auric or energy field thereby influencing how this field interacts with world around us. All of the various aspects of our energy field, or what is commonly referred to as our aura, change at the same rate and are influenced by different things. For example, our lower vehicles, which are discarded after each lifetime change continually. They are associated with our personality. Our lower vehicles are our physical, etheric, emotional and mental bodies. Our higher vehicles, from our causal body on "up" change gradually and you could refer to them as part of our individuality.
In this essay we will primarily look at the affect of our thoughts on our lower vehicle and how this relates to our interactions with others. We will do this by looking at how our thoughts affect our auric field, the potential effect they can have on others and how they may perceive us as a result.
Read more: Our Mental House Part 5: The Affects of Our Thoughts
Our Mental House Part 4: What We Are Conscious Of
You are walking down the street on the way to the store to pick up some things you need. As you walk, you observe and think about what you observe. You gaze around from time to time as some things catch your attention. Have you ever considered why you noticed some things or have certain thoughts and not other? What was it about that person across the street that caught your attention and why did certain thoughts about them surface and not others? Why do aspects of what we observe bring forth memories of other experiences we have had yet others do not?
Why do some things hold our attention even to the point of overriding what we are actually doing? These are not questions easily answered, certainly not ones we can answer directly; however, the processes that lead to what we notice, remember and think about can be understood.
Read more: Our Mental House Part 4: What We Are Conscious Of
Our Mental House Part 3: The Consequences of How We Think
"Cogito ergo sum", or as it is more commonly known, “I think, therefore I am”, is a philosophical statement made by Rene Descartes over 350 years ago. He was one of the great thinkers of his time and to this day people often quote this statement. I have often contemplated this, even meditated on it many times over the years. Of course, he examined a number of ideas including construction of system of knowledge based on deduction and perception; however, I want to focus on this one idea.
It was the notion of self-awareness and the question of “do we really exist?” that initially intrigued me about this statement. It is an idea examined by many people and I will not revisit it here, though it is a good lead in to what I would like to examine.
Read more: Our Mental House Part 3: The Consequences of How We Think
Our Mental House Part 2: Thought Dynamics - The Practical Side
We all struggle to a certain extent with life issues and growing past them can be a huge challenge. We see or notice a problem and then set to work on resolving it, to grow past it. For instance, we all have experiences where we react with anger or with feelings of hurt. The only way we can truly get past these reactions is by resolving that within us that led to their creation.
We have all tried to let go of such feelings, only to find they stay with us or manifest in some other form in our lives. We are not conscious of how this happens but it does. We then find that, down the road, we encounter a new situation and they resurface once more. To us it can seem like we are fighting an endless battle against an unknown and mysterious foe. We struggle to find a way to resolve them or let them go fully. The answer to this is not to keep hammering at the same walls, it starts with understanding how we built the walls in the first place.
Read more: Our Mental House Part 2: Thought Dynamics - The Practical Side
Our Mental House Part 1: The Dynamics of Thought
Over the course of my essays and writings, I have spoken many times about energy interactions (1). I have done so as it is a great benefit to us when we are more aware of how energy interacts and how our actions affect it. By actions, I do not just mean our physical acts; I am referring to our thoughts (conscious or otherwise), feelings and even those of what I have referred to as our non-conscious aspects (those not part of our conscious mind).
It is hard to convey a lifetimes worth, and beyond that, of understanding in a few words. Our situation, motivation, beliefs, language and use of symbols differ. We have different family, social and cultural backgrounds and experiences, all of which can change or distort the information. This is especially true in terms of examining thoughts, for it is our thoughts that are the fundamental constructs of our mind. They also form the basis of our relationship with our reality.