Mind seeks to keep itself safe

A Releasing Your Unlimited Creativity discussion topic

Copyright 2009 by K. Ferlic,   All Rights Reserved

Mind arises as a result of the experiences it has had. As a human being we experience death, pain, suffering and the like. As a result our current mind thinks it will die and/or experience pain and suffering and its normal response is to protect and defend itself if it thinks it is threatened. It defends against anything that looks like death or will result in pain and suffering. A normally functioning mind seeks to keep itself safe and this is one of the main reasons why threat of punishment works so well to control individuals.

It especially seeks to avoid situations which remind it of its past where it experienced pain and suffering or it saw pain and death in others. However, it can be trained to face situations which are perceived as hazardous. When trained or when it thinks it knows and understands the hazard it think it will not be injured. This brings up another issue. That is, when it thinks its safe, it does not adequately took to see if it has addressed the hazards it will face.

Relative to our creative endeavors, there are two things of which we need to be aware relative to mind desiring to keep itself safe. One is fear of the unknown and the other is thinking it will not be harmed.

Fear of the unknown and fear of anything that in any way reminds the mind of past where it suffered pain and/or discomfort will arise when mind faces the unknown. Or, mind will simply project the past into the unknown fully expecting pain and suffering. In engaging in truly creative endeavors, we need to be aware of this fact for it can be debilitating and, if we do not deal with the fear, it will thwart our creative efforts.

Relative to acting in the world for anything we do, if fear is not present or does not arise for one reason or another, mind thinks nothing will happen to it as result of what it faces. Although hazards exists and the mind is even aware of the hazards, mind will think it will not be harmed. Rather it thinks that something will happen to the other individual. Often the mind will "lower it guard" and does not do all that it can do to ensure it is not harmed.

In essence one is walking a very narrow line. On one side is the existence of fear where it thinks it can be harmed. The other is not thinking it will be harmed and inadequate precaution are take in a hazardous situation.

The recommendation is to realize fear is of the past and to be mindful and aware to address the fears and it source as it arises. But, it is also to be mindful, aware and every observant of the situation we face as we enter the unknown. Here the use of our intuitive guidance and body wisdom can be a tremendous asset to probe the unknown for hazards. However, one does need to be aware of feelings which arise that become interpreted by mind through the filter of a fear of the past. That is, we think when are experiencing a situation like the past when in fact we are not. Here the issue is not so much addressing the fear of the past as much as it is asking the question as to whether or not a real hazards exists and dealing with the situation as it exists and not what we think it is.

Related topics
Dealing with the fear

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