| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| jst |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 09:01:06
I'm curiuos if people have thought about a connection between focusing on one's consciousness (and one's unconscious) and its relationship to a state of mind that is often referred to as "being in the present," "mindfulness," or even what's called in sports "being in the zone" or playing "unconscious" or "out of one's mind."
I see a real connection between focusing on one's consciousness in order to trul be in touch with what one is feeling, such that no Sarno-esque distractions boggle the mind. I sense that Buddhism and mysticism's focus on conscious enlightenment is somehow very related and tied up with all of this.
Have you ever noticed how Sarno describes the "pain epidemic" as one of the Western world, where there exists a void of the developed practice of self-enlightenment through focusing on one's consciousness that is common in Buddhism and Eeastern thought?
Does any of this sound familiar to people?
I think Sam Harris' "The End of Faith" helped me start to think about it. He attacks most organized religions and offers an updated version of spirituality that he believes might be achieved through focusing one one's conscious experience. By doing so, Harris suspects humans might find what they have always sought from religion: spirituality, community, and peaceful, loving relations with their neighbors. |
| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| jst |
Posted - 05/08/2007 : 10:33:23
Thanks so much for the posts, everyone. I have to check out some of these books. I' think I'll start with "When Things Fall Apart." I actually think etheogens and Sonora Sky both make great points. |
| armchairlinguist |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 21:48:22
When Things Fall Apart is an amazing book. It's the first book I read that made meditation and mindfulness seem approachable and something done by real people for real purposes. I also like her book The Places That Scare You.
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Wherever you go, there you are. |
| altherunner |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 20:42:48
"A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle helped me immensely. All his books are good, this one is an easy read, for someone like me, with no prior knowledge of presence, mindfulness, or spirituality. Since becoming more present a couple of years ago, relapses have stopped, relationships improved, anger and worry have dramatically lessened, and I have stopped drinking. Having the ego run your life keeps you in a world of complaining and resentment, wanting more, and out of the present moment. Ego wants to constantly "add" more to yourself, including looking outside of your true self for a cure from things like tms. Give up your personal history of grievances, resentments,
past wrongs, and other baggage you've packed around for years. Are you defining who you are by your past? Let it go. |
| Paul |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 18:37:38
Sonora,
That book you mentioned, "When Things Fall Apart" should be read by everyone on this board. The same goes for the tiny red book, "Zen and the art of Happiness" by Chris Prentiss. Both approach suffering, mindfulness, and pain in really good ways. I've read a lot of books on self-actualization and zen (mindfulness)...and the small book by Chris I just mentioned is one of the best. I just wanted to share that with others here.
I think mindfulness is essential when recovering from TMS because without it, we wouldn't get in touch with the moment and how we really feel. Without mindfulness, we would fill our mind with distractions such as pain or other addictions, etc.
Plus, being mindful makes life so much easier, so much lighter, so much more fulfilling, and more.
The tiniest bit goes a long way. I try to meditate daily and it is amazing what a little silence and mindfulness can add to your day. |
| sonora sky |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 17:27:48
I think entheogens and TT may have misunderstood jst's original post (jst, correct me if I'm wrong).
"Have you ever noticed how Sarno describes the "pain epidemic" as one of the Western world, where there exists a void of the developed practice of self-enlightenment through focusing on one's consciousness that is common in Buddhism and Eeastern thought?"
I think the above sentence was intended as:
1) Sarno describes the "pain epidemic" as one of the Western world (period). This is Sarno's claim. In other words, TMS is rampant in Western culture. True.
2) [In the West], there exists a void of the developed practice of self-enlightenment through focusing on one's consciousness (jst's claim, not Sarno's). I think most would agree with this statement.
3)This developed practice of self-enlightenment (above) is common in Buddhism and Eastern thought. True. Here, the reference is to Buddhist/Eastern THOUGHT (i.e. spiritual practice), not contemporary Eastern culture.
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I was just reading Pema Chodron's When Things Fall Apart. In her chapter, This Very Moment Is the Perfect Teacher, she addresses the points that have been brought up here regarding awareness and loss of self/ego. I wanted to excerpt a bit, but so much of the chapter is pertinent, I'm having difficulty choosing. The whole chapter can be read in terms of dealing with TMS. She sees pain, discomfort, and anxiety (read: TMS) as messengers that are telling us it's time to stop struggling (avoiding, repressing, indulging) and look directly at what's threatening us.
ss
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| entheogens |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 12:27:19
This may be somewhat tangential, but for what it's worth, I dont think this mentality is particular to American society. I have a lot of respect for Buddhist psychology, but if you are really familiar with it, asian middle-class society is MUCH more neurotic than European/American society. Kids are pushed and pushed to succeed and make as much money as possible, and gain as much status as possible. Little consideration is given to what they really like or if they have other needs. Their sexuality is fanatically repressed. The hyper-consumerism goes pretty much unquestioned as a good thing there. I am just saying this because I find that a lot of westerners have this idealized vision of asians and make statements critical of "western mentality". Check your facts.
That cultural pheonmenon does not blind me to the insights of buddhism though. |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 09:43:53
quote:
Originally posted by jst
Have you ever noticed how Sarno describes the "pain epidemic" as one of the Western world, where there exists a void of the developed practice of self-enlightenment through focusing on one's consciousness that is common in Buddhism and Eeastern thought?
The "Westernness" of the TMS pain epedemic is due to the value system as mentioned in MBP page 26 :
"Many years ago New York psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe studied the causative role of stressful life events "in the natural history of many diseases." They reported on a list of these events, some of which were negative but many identified as socially desirable and 'consonant with the American values of achievement, success, materialism, practicality, efficiency, future orientation, conformism and self-reliance.' "
Some of my favorite excerpts from 'TDM' : http://www.tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2605
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| jst |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 09:43:18
Me too Windy, and it's been profound how positive it's been for me on SO many levels. For society and all of the social ills that we see, I feel like there is so much room for growth here. |
| windy |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 09:35:10
Hi,
For me, awakening to TMS and a great spiritual awakening were simultaneous! So I agree with you. |
| jst |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 09:23:18
To add to this, the focus on becoming more in tune with one's conscious experiences and feelings and thoughts enables one to become more engaged with the present and to eventually feel a decreasing sense of "self."
The walls one feels between oneself and the world begin to crumble as one taps into one's unconscious emotions.
People often talk on this site about how Sarno's ideas have helped them come to terms with harbored rage or frustration with other people, and that as they start to look at themselves and their own true feelings and flaws, the "moral highground" from which they cast their anger and contempt for others disappears and they realize how much of the problem comes from inside. They become more in touch with their feelings, and the negative, antisocial feelings of hate, contempt, and frustration with others disintegrate, as does the sense of ME and I and SELF. They become more in tune themselves on the inside and the world on the outside, boundaries breaking down and an emotionally healthier person becomes the result. |
| Shary |
Posted - 05/07/2007 : 09:18:25
Speaking for myself, I've had a real problem with "being in the present." Over the years I've spent a lot of time either stewing about the past or creating story lines regarding the future. The problem is that these scenarios sometimes overwrite reality. This is one reason why it's important to examine stored issues that bother us. Now that I am consciously working on this, I often find that my memory of something bad isn't even factual because my mind has distorted it.
I'm not a Buddhist and have no desire to become one, but I have been benefiting considerably from the wisdom of many of their teachings. |
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