Our Evolving Consciousness & Love on Planet Earth

"I wish we
could all outgrow
our primitive brains
and just embrace
love and kindness
toward the earth,
its people, and
the animals."
~ Devon McPherson

As human babies, we have have sensations and feelings... we don't yet have words in our heads. As we acquire words, we string them together to form sentences, and eventually we start to have have thoughts in our brain. This is done without conscious awareness that we are doing this process of word-connecting. As adults, most of us have thoughts, and we simply believe what we are thinking. Consciousness is a 4th process, beyond sensation, feelings and thought. With consciousness, we can observe and just notice what we are sensing, feeling and thinking and not act on them.

In meditation practices, there are terms: "chattering mind" and "monkey mind." They mean that the mind can make-up thoughts, believe them, and get us all worked-up and bothered, creating mental rants and raves, becoming judgmental and critical, and then we can be cruel when blended with feelings of anger and resentment. The "crazy monkey mind" gets us into trouble. When you are having a "Crazy Monkey Mind Moment," it is time to calm down through:
* breathing
* muscle relaxation
* shifting emotions to compassion
* focusing on more reasonable thinking

It took me over 35 years to be able to do this in a few seconds.

Evolving Consciousness on Planet Earth

Consciousness can be enhanced through a simple meditation. Just find a quiet space where you live, in nature, in a library, museum, or any religious facility. Close your eyes. You may:

* feel the body's sensations
* experience emotions of fear, anger, sadness or happiness
* hear many thoughts, and even get confused as they stream-on and jumble together

 

Make a note of what is presently concerning you, so your mind does not have to keep recycling it, trying to get you to solve the problems it is encountering. Once you have your list, put it aside.  

 

As a feeling or thought comes to you, just let it go like a white puffy cloud floating by in a blue sky. This is creating a practice of not being attached to your feelings and thoughts. When we become consciously aware we are having feelings and thoughts, and we just "witness" our thoughts before believing them and acting upon them, we are beginning a new life, we are "evolving in consciousness."

 

As you sit there, trying to meditate, a powerful feeling or thought may start to draw you in. Rather than being on the outside watching it float by peacefully, you may find yourself enveloped inside the cloud of the feelings and thought. If you get caught up in a whirlwind of feelings and thoughts, you may find yourself embroiled in a conflict with someone, or replaying a sad scene.  At any time, you can come to be at the peaceful center of the cyclone of whirling thoughts and emotions.

 

A way to do this is by practicing you are in the balcony of a theater. You see the scene on the stage as an audience member. You are no longer caught up in the drama, on the stage, being one of the actors... you are developing "detached observation skills." Our feelings and thoughts can create chaos and drama in our lives when we thoroughly believe them.  Here are some examples...   

 

Religious fanatics of all kinds... firmly believe their religious thoughts, and are willing to dismiss, argue with and even harm others in the name of religion ...

Greedy people...  were abused emotionally and mentally when they were young, now feel disconnected from others, and think money will buy them respect and safety...  people, family and community may become increasingly unimportant to them... they may become obsessed and love only numbers and money...

Organized criminals and gang members... never had good experiences with people and communities, they had no one to guide them to live a better life... they think society is useless and want know part of it ...

Each Day

* Take 5-20 minutes to calm your mind...

* Practicing being grateful, happy and compassionate...

* Be kind, sweet and loving to yourself no matter what comes your way...

* Hold to your positive vision of what you want to create in your life...

* Take some positive action in the direction of your positive vision...

~ Sandy Hinden
 

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