Lately we've seen articles describing "Qanon" followers as mentally ill. I'd like to address that and say, it is true that almost all of humanity is insane (mentally unhealthy). This mental illness shows itself to us in many forms, from self-hatred to problems in relationships and even on a larger scale through wars, corruption, violence. Most importantly, this illness shows itself in the incessant ramblings of the mind: your thought-stream. That little voice in your head that analyzes, judges, likes and dislikes, reminds you of past pain and warns you of possible future dangers. That voice, sometimes accompanied by mental images, can even become someone's tormentor: "I am so stupid, I am unworthy, I am not smart enough, I will always fail, I should have...could have...". This little voice in our head makes us constantly get lost "in time", i.e. the past or the future.
Dwelling on the past: Depression, addiction, self-doubt, etc. Constantly thinking of the future: Anxiety, Worry, Panic attacks, etc.
Unless we can learn to shut off that little voice in our head, that can even keep us from getting rest at night, we are no different than the homeless person on the street muttering to themselves: We just do it in our heads! In fact, there are barely any people who don't walk around constantly muttering to themselves in their head, so much that it has become "the norm". Living in the past and in the future has become the norm, instead of living in the moment - now-here. We try to escape the current moment at all costs. Anything, anything to escape the now. TV shows. Video games. Drugs. Food. Whatever distracts us. "Just don't leave me alone with my mind", we yell, desperately.
But it isn't healthy. And you can learn to find the "turn off" button for that nagging voice and experience the bliss and peace that you feel when you direct your attention and focus on the now, instead of on the past, which doesn't exist (anymore) or the future, which we cannot know or control. Don't misunderstand me, it has nothing to do with not planning for the future, rather no matter how ambitious a plan we have, the only step that really ever matters is the step we take right now, right here.
If we all lived in the now, we would act compassionately and from a place of love. Fear, anger, hatred and violence would cease to exist.
** For anyone interested in starting to live in the now, I suggest the following audiobook by Eckhart Tolle: The Power of Now* **
*Full audiobook: https://youtu.be/NzOst3-jbQo
Animated overview / summary: https://youtu.be/PgGtNgLSCqU*
*This is not a religion and is fully compatible with all belief systems. All spiritual teachings from Christianity to Buddhism contain this fundamental truth about the importance of being fully present in the here and now.
I hope to be able to help those of you willing and ready to take on this personal journey of self-realization / self-knowledge and hope to plant a seed of enlightenment into those who are not ready yet.
Bless you all and may peace be upon you.
Galileo and Copernicus and many others who advanced human knowledge were considered mentally ill as well.
There are only 2 motivations 1)you are running from something
2) you are running to something
While you can only affect either from the NOW.
But joy /happiness come from trying to make the good choices in the now. So as to find your narrow path to the future and being able to appreciate the past that brought you to now.
So I believe that rather than turning off that still small voice, you need to learn to listen and follow it to your and everyone else's bliss. That voice is trying to teach you to listen/develop your instincts . To follow the inner KNOWING.
Otherwise you are suggesting: " I do not think, therefore I am."
But your post shows me you do not believe that.
Running from that voice leading to the greater you, rather than listening to and making choice now seems contradictory.
Thank You for your help, for it is not the starting point ,nor destination but the journey that maters.
Thank you so much for your reply :) I am not suggesting to stop thinking at all, rather to use the mind as a tool instead of the mind using you as a tool. It is about not identifying with the illusionary egos the mind creates, the self-doubt, jealousy, fear, hatred, greed. What you are shutting down is the involuntary aspect of repeated, useless thinking. In fact the way I use thought now is much more focused and directed but I do not identify with my thoughts anymore.
Inner knowing is exactly what I intend to follow - but that is an experienced knowledge, a knowledge that isn't learned through the mind, it's like intuition: you just know it to be true- there is no possibility for doubt. That's how strongly I feel about being present in the now. It's the Buddhist no-mind and what "attention on attention" means in Zen practice. :) Basically, being able to focus your mind on one thing, thought / object at the time. This also prepares us for more intense meditation and prayer.
Bless you fren, may we walk our paths in peace and harmony :D
Agree, always.