Question
Thank you so much for your "thoughtful" answer. I truly appreciate it. Your answer has raised another question: If the majority of our thoughts are not our own, why should we pay any attention to them, much less make them the basis of our reality? Or allow them to harden into beliefs? I hope I'm not appearing dense, this has been an issue I've been struggling with for quite some time. I know personally how difficult it is to ignore repetitive negative thoughts, while recognizing that acting on them accomplishes nothing. I guess my confusion is since thoughts are energy, they become thought-forms which attach themselves to us, but they are not even our own, then why would just noticing and letting these thoughts go be denial? If my thoughts create my reality, and I believe they do for better or worse, how is it possible to live my own life as opposed to allowing these thought forms or beliefs that don't belong to me to call the shots? I know it would be impossible to live in our society while giving up every belief such as what is right or wrong, what is acceptable behavior etc., so is the answer to allow some thoughts to become reality while letting go of others, just releasing them as they come up? Help!! Me thinks maybe I think too much. Seriously. But I like to understand anything that affects my life and my happiness and well-being. Thanks again for your answer, it was very helpful and I hope you'll help me get a little more clear. Respectfully, Carole
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The text above is a follow-up to ...
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I'm confused. For the past several years (precipitated by depression and personal crisis) I have been reading a lot about spirituality, quantum physics, etc. There seem to be at least two trains of thought regarding, yes, thoughts. One, they become words, which become deeds, which become habits, which then make your world. "Thoughts become things, think good ones." Then, as in meditation, we are to simply be aware of our thoughts, watch them come and go, and not get involved with them. Vernon Howard, whom I admire, says that every thought that comes through our heads is not even necessarily our own. Better to think positively, be nonjudgemental, etc, or be the "witness" to our thoughts and not buy into them as "we are not our thoughts". I just feel that I am missing something here, the two concepts seem so at odds with each other, yet they both seem to have merit. I appreciate your "thoughts" on this! Thank you, Carole
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Hi Carole,
Thoughts are energy and when given a construct.. a form... it can be then called a thing.... Beliefs are energy that becomes what I call a Thought forms and are attached to the thinker or even society in general.. These thought forms have tremendous power and influence over our lives...
The form of Meditation that you mention is what I call "denial based" and is not what I subscribe to... It makes no sense to deny the thoughts and ideas of this reality... for the sake of a mindless and thoughtless one.... only to come back to this reality... What did you learn in your mindless state that can better your present life? NOTHING!
Now I'd say a good 95 percent plus... of all the thoughts and ideas that are in your head... are not your thoughts or ideas.. and even the so-called inner critic is not your voice...but it pretends to be... Most of your programs and beliefs you have are what you have learned from others and are not your ideas. Even your language, social customs and traditions and religion are not YOUR thoughts or ideas.. you merely use them....
Becoming aware of your thoughts is key to becoming aware of who and what you are... Positive, negative, observer, participant, critic, sad, heartbroken, angry, rage, terror, happy, playful and on and on... Is this MY voice or is it a voice of a part of me? If it is a part... why is it seperate from me... If this is not my voice, then whos voice is it and why is it here and how did it get here... Then you can get into your feelings and emotions.. Is this my feeling or am I feeling someone elses feelings.. Then you can get into your body.. Is this my present pain.. or a memory of a pain I have in my body? Does this pain belong to another person? If so.. why am I feeling it?
Well that should give you some "food for though" :)
John
Answer
Hi Carole,
Thanks for the chuckle.. "Help!! Me thinks maybe I think too much" ...
Thought forms are energy and are attached to us.. but in order to let them go.. one must know how they are attached and why.. It's like being in a swamp with a bunch of alligators... denying them is not going to get rid of them... and that's how denial works... it doesn't... :)
I assume you read my Bio. and that I said that what I have discovered and experienced is 180 degrees out of phase with present "denial" based society..... That means.. thinking and doing exactly the opposite of denial... which is ending denial, no denial, no conditions, no rules, no old imprints, programs and beliefs..
OK.. I'm going to go a little spiritual (NOT religious) on you here... in that we are a spiritual being having a Human experience... From the beginning of this creation up to now.. what we have experienced is love with conditions, CONDITIONAL LOVE.. (with denial present)... Many of us search for unconditional love and we have been lead to believe (by religion) that we can only have that when we die and go to heaven or whatever... WRONG... WE can and are bringing Heaven to Earth... meaning that we will now be creating a NEW creation ... one not based on denial.. but with NO DENIAL and that also means unconditional love...
This world and all of creation is changing... NOT that we are going to fix the old imprints, programs and beliefs.. because we can't.. what has been created can't be destroyed...And if denial is present in the very essence.. no amount of change will ever get rid of denial... Nor can we change those that still want to deny and believe that they are right as they also have "free Will" and choice... They will be allowed to live as they choose.. but... in their right place that has denial and conditional love... For those of us that want to end our denials and live life with unconditional love, we will also have our right place that we will be creating... Not out of the OLD.. but like the Phoenix.. rising out of the ashes of the old...
Now.. ending our denials is hard as it's all we have ever known.. but it's not impossible... And once you begin, you also begin to get your power back and living becomes easier and happier and you also begin to see the illusion of what we have been calling life... It's kind of like the movie the Matrix #1, Pleasantville, What dreams may Come, The Truman Show, all rolled into one.
Well that's enough for now.. I don't want to overload you :D
John
