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Stepping out of mind
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A Releasing Your Unlimited Creativity discussion topic | |
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Copyright 2008 by K. Ferlic, All Rights Reserved | |
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Stepping out of mind The overall need to step out of mind as we currently know our mind is quite simply. The mind which created the problem we face is not the mind that will solve our problem. To find a creative solution to anything we face, we need to step out of our current mind. Exactly what this means and what we will find is another issue. Truth in labeling - a safety warning for being out of mind (Top) Modern society encourages that there be truth in all labeling and/or a hazards identification on all products so that the user can be aware of any hazards or side effects to any products that are used. The logic behind this practice is so that each individual can determine their own level of safety and the risk that they will accept in life and what they will accept in the use of the product. In knowing the hazards, the individual can also then determine what compensatory measures they may wish to put into place to prevent or mitigate whatever it is they fear may, or could, possible happen. However in many cases, what is safe for me may not be safe for you, and only you can determine the level and environment of safety that you need to experience life. However, first and foremost, it needs to be understood what you experience will depend on the intention you hold and what you desire to create with and in your life. To use the phrase, "we need to be out of mind" can be very frightening for it appear to imply becoming, somehow, crazy. However, the creative principles discussed and introduced here are nothing different from what we already experience someway in life for we are already using these creative principles in a nonconscious way. For example we are out of mind any time we are totally absorbed in what we feel and what we are doing that we lose awareness of all everything else around us. In reality, "being out of mind" as suggested here, we are not facing anything new or a new hazard. Rather we are just experiencing what is already in our life in a different way, a conscious way. However, to bring awareness to this state of being that already exist in our life may be too frightening to some and they prefer to not know about it and/or experience it. Many of us prefer to live in the hope that what we don’t know cannot harm us. Or, better said in this case, we prefer to believe what we don’t know does not bind and entangle our creative ability and creative power robbing us of the magic in life, and a deep profound understanding and inner satisfaction about life and Creation. The issue will become how we will choose to experience the creative principles we use nonconsciously consciously. We can experience them in an adventuresome way, in playfulness, in terrifying fear reminiscent of the past, or something completely different. It is our choice whether or not we experience these principles consciously in a playful and enjoyable way or nonconsciously. What is provided here will help to do consciously what we already do nonconsciously. In many ways, all that will be done is make our nonconscious conscious and give us the ability to control how and what we are creating. It will do so for we will begin to see the cause effect relation between how and what we think and believe and how and what we experience. The issue is whether or not we consciously want to face what holds us back from becoming a conscious creator of the experiences we have. Many prefer to do their creativity nonconsciously. To become a conscious creator, we will have to decided if we want to consciously face the source of the perceived hazards that seems to arise to prevent us from creating what we desire and prevents our creative spirit from freely unfolding true to its nature. The only true hazard unique stepping out of mind, if there is one, is the impact on our own thinking and how and what we think about the world and our life for it will change our life. Stepping out of mind will cause us to think differently. Thinking differently will cause us to make different decisions and different choices than we now do. Choosing differently will cause our life to become different. We are in control and free to think, choose and act as we wish. All the hazards we perceive, whether they are real or imaginary, already exist. It is only how we are currently viewing them or avoiding them that is determining what we experience. If we think and believe changing what we think and believe is hazardous in some way, then this material will be seen as very hazardous to us. If, however, we realize changing what we think and believe is not hazardous but the hazards lie in what we think and believe and how we choose to act, or not act, on what we believe, then this material is not hazardous to us in any way. The reason for this is we control the hazards we face by how and what we choose to think. The goal of the perspective provided here is to give each of us a way to know what serves or does not serve our best interests. Overview of stepping out of mind (Top) Stepping out of mind, being out of mind, being beyond mind is allowing ourselves to step out of the thinking, judging, opinionated, analytical and logical aspects of mind. It is to step out of those aspects of mind related to how we have come to view and define ourselves and how and what we think believe to experience a creation/Creation for what it is unbiased by mind. To be out of mind is to identify with the awareness that is witnessing the experience that is being had rather than identifying with the experiences the awareness has had. To be out of mind is to move into the awareness that lies within mind as a detached witness. To be out of mind is not the same as being crazy or insane although we refer to some one who is crazy or insane as "out of their mind." To be out of mind is to be out of that rational and analytical approach to life. It means letting go of who we think we are and all that you have been taught to believe and only be with exactly what we are feeling. That in itself is very frightening for most people for the mind desires to control. To be out of mind means that we have to be out of control in some way. Again the expression "out of control" has been given very negative connotation. We say something is out of control when it is dangerous and can cause harm such a car that is out of control. However, if you look at the actions and play of a young child of one to two years old they are out of control in the sense they freely move from one thing to another. They are drawn to whatever attracts their attention. They are not focus in, or on, specific things. They are free to move form one thing to another. As adults, we tend to fear this kind of state of being for a variety of reasons. The particulars of which are unique to the individual although there are general statements that can be made. There are two most common generalities that we finds why individuals fear this state. The first is because of the early memories we had as a child while in this state. Some of these experiences are traumatic types of experiences. The second is the enculturated ego. That is, who we have come to believe we are. The ego is afraid it will die if our consciousness steps out of its enculturated ego. Unless we feel that we are in a very safe space, we are normally very reluctant to even begin to go to such a state where we consciously go against what the ego desires. The reason for the existence of both of these types of fears within us will have to be addressed in some way if we are going to regain our creative play and return to the most creative state of being. The fastest, quickest and easiest way to understand what being out of mind is all about is a "not doing" exercise. The classic not doing exercises is to do other than what we think and believe and how we have defined ourselves. For example, we have all heard someone say, "I would not be caught dead doing that (whatever that is). To go and do whatever that is would be not doing. That is we step out of the identity we have given ourselves and what we think is the way things should be. A second way to be out of mind is simply to become lost in what we feel and/or the activity we are doing. Creative play is a typical state of being where we are out of mind. In creative play and are able to spontaneously and innocently move where the energy leads us within any imposition of mind on what we do and why we do it. We simply flow where lead. A third way typically used to be out of mind is some type and kind of initiation. To be "out of mind" is to be present in the moment without the biases of the past. To be out of mind we are still very conscious and very aware. It is to be present to what is, as it is. Mind and its functions are based on our memory and we are aware of mind and its biases and opinions it only after the fact. If we look deeply at how we respond to reality we will have an experience and/or a thought and then we become aware of that experience and/or thought a split second after the fact. An image will pop into our mind and/or we perceive a sensation and we will be aware of the existence of the image or sensation before we can judge it or realize that the image exist. As such, to be out of mind is to being that moment and aware of the images and experiences as they arise without the interference of a thinking and judging mind. In being out of mind the emphasis in on the thinking, judging, analytical and logical portion of mind and those aspects of mind frequently characterized as ego or of the ego. When someone is out of mind they may look crazy to an outside observer for their actions will not necessarily rational or they may appear in a deep trance or altered state of reality. However when an individual is in a deep trance or altered state of reality, most of the time we will never notice the individual is out of mind. We only see that some how they are deeply aware and they know things in ways that others don’t know. How one go out of mind depends on the individual. But in any case, if we go out of mind, it is important to have a reference or an anchor point or a grounding point to ensure we do not actually become crazy and lose ourselves. That is, lose ourselves in this out of mind conditions such that we cannot come back. One can use and object, individual or feeling for this purpose. If we use an object, we will have to keep tightly focused on that object and the focus itself keeps us grounded. Using a object of focus, mantra, sutra and the like are often used when mediation is used to step out of mind. If we use an individual, we will have to do exactly as that individual says to do to remain grounded. Using an individual is typical of some type or kind of initiation. The safest way, and the recommendation made here is that we use our own heart and listen to it and where it leads without question. It already is sustaining us and it will not lead we astray. It has our best interested at heart. It may lead us where mind does not like to go or want to be, but heart will always lead us to the flow of energy within our own being to align with, and follow, that flow. That flow will always bring us back to ground for it is what is creating your physical experience. A summary nature of mind (Top) From a creativity perspective, mind is seen as a property of consciousness which remembers the experiences our awareness has had and constructs an identity based on how it chooses to perceive those experiences. If we look carefully we will see mind is really only capable of dealing with the past for it is a construct of our past. It is very limited in what it can provided in a true creative endeavor where we bring into existence something never before seen or experienced. Because the mind of consciousness remembers the experiences of the body, it identifies itself with the body that it uses for the experiences it remembers. Hence, although mind is a property of the consciousness and goes with the consciousness, it believes it is the body and forgets any other experiences it may have had before entering the body. When faced with something one has not experienced before mind will try and characterized what it is experiencing in the best way it can based on what it remembers. However, if we look carefully at our thoughts, we will find there are times that what appears to be an exception to statement that thoughts are from the past and we will wonder "Where did that thought come from?" for it feels so alien and foreign to our being. Here we need to realize there is an awareness which lies in what we feel which give rise to knowings. That is, we know something for which we have no way of knowing based on what mind knows and understands. Mind, as a result of its identification with the body, seeks to enjoy itself and/or indulge itself and seeks that which is pleasurable. Rather than being present to what is as it is, mind will try to be selective and judge its experiences as pleasurable and non-pleasurable and move towards the pleasurable. Hence, mind creates a selective view of its experiences and creates an illusion about the nature of reality based on what it thinks and perceives reality is. Although the thinking, judging and analytical function of mind is inherent to mind, moving from the non-pleasurable and toward the pleasurable is not inherent. Rather, it becomes a habit with little thinking involved developed from becoming associated with the body for mind does not feel pleasure or pain, the body does. The mind has preferences and judgments of likes and dislikes but that is not the same as feeling pleasure or pain. If mind were to feel, we would have the same pleasures for the same experience, but we don’t. On this point it needs to be noted, if we look carefully, there are two types of pain. One type of pain arises from physical sensations and the other is a pain that arises from non physical sources that can manifest as a physical sensation and/or internal discomfort. Since physical pain is a biological response of the body, we can develop effective drugs and techniques that block the pain. These drug and techniques can be used effectively from one person to the next. Yet this other type of pain is non physical and what works for one to relieve the pain will not necessary relieve it in another. The reason for this is he non physical pain is a pain of our own making, solely determined by how and what we believe. Pain and the relationship of these two types of pain is discussed under the topics on pain and in "The Gift of Pain." The brain of our body acts as a central receiving station for all the sensory input form the body and it determines if the body is or is not experiencing pain. The automatic response of the body is to move away from the pain as quickly as possible. The body and processes of the brain function usually much faster than one is capable of think and judging as to what is happening. Mind interjects itself in the brain just after the signal is received from the body and the brain sends a response back to the body. If we put our finger on the hot stove, our body response is to quickly to pull it away. However, if we aware and have mind engaged, the mind can over rule the response of the body and tell the body to keep its finger on the stove. It is this ability of mind to interject itself between the automatic response of the body and brain that causes mind to become associated with the body. Once mind has learned to interject itself it begins to interject itself where it choose. Before long it beings to like the way it is capable of controlling the body and begin to think it is the body and it thinks it controls the body. However, mind rarely develops the discipline and strength of will to access the deeper layers of the nonconscious and dormant consciousness to really control the body and its manifestation and, in particular, to change the reason for its existence. What needs to be understood is the attribute we call mind senses the energy or perceives the energy our being experiences physically or non physically and characterizes the energy the best it can essentially collapsing the energy that is sensed into thoughts and images based on the belief and the belief structure that we carry. When mind focuses on the body and identifies with the body, most of its thought and images are based on the body and its experiences in the physical world. However, if the body sensations are denied, suppressed or set aside, we can being to become aware of the energy that is sensed by mind independent of the body. This has been accomplished by many of the eastern meditative practices or through the use of mind altering substances that creates a condition which allows mind to temporary free itself from the strong identification and attachment with the body. However, one can do the same in learning to become a detached witness. If we detach from the mind and steps out of mind and we are present to the body itself and what it is experiences without any focus on the external world which has given mind its identity, we begin to perceive the body wisdom and our intuitive guidance that lies outside of mind and outside the external world. Additionally we can access the awareness which lies in feeling to know things mind based on our past experiences has no way of knowing. Understanding mind as part of the creative process (Top) Mind is what hold the beliefs that creates the view or the particular way of observing the energy it experiences to assume a particular form. The beliefs it holds create the boundaries which causes the energy mind experiences in the form of infinite waves of energy to become localized and in a standing wave pattern that causes the energy to assume a particular form and to solidify into physical creations. Analogously, it is like creating an illusionary envelope with a vibrating string. When our beliefs are in alignment with the reality that is, events will correspond to what thoughts and images we form in our mind. When our beliefs are not in alignment with reality, then our thoughts and images are only the best approximate our mind can give us to the energy we experience. In this case things and events will not turn out as we expect and/or our actions will not be in alignment with the flow of the creative life energy. To utilize all the power that is potentially available to us, the beliefs we carry in our mind must align with and flow of the creative life energy from the Source of Creation to bring the energy of creation/Creation through ourselves as a clear channel. Any beliefs that we have that are not in agreement with that which is, causes our energy to be scattered and fall out of a coherent or focused alignment and if our beliefs are too far out of alignment we have little ability to create our experiences and have any control over our life. In addition to our mind collapsing the wave nature of energy into particles we call thoughts, our mind has both a wave and particle nature. The wave nature of mind is only experienced when we are beyond thought and "out of mind" as to who we think we are. When we are "out of mind," that is how we have defined ourselves by what we think, we are then capable of being anywhere, anytime and anyplace for we are already one with All That Is. We only need to shift our focus and awareness to get there. Here one is present to the moment and can see the past, present or future. From the mind point of view, it needs to be understood is that the thoughts we have are particles and only represent one of an infinite number of particulate expressions we can give to the energy we are sensing. Our belief structure, all the beliefs that we hold is what determines what particular thought that we have. In fact, our beliefs structure can be seen as our mind in its particle form since we have defined ourselves by the limits and barriers by the thoughts that we believe. On this point, as a particle, our mind can have an infinite number of forms depending on the beliefs that it holds. Stories of being out of mind (Top) There are two stories that are extremely relevant to being out of mind. The first story sets the stage for the second. It has been told there was a distinguished professor who went to visit a Zen master in an attempt to learn what Zen was all about. When they met, the master asked if the professor would like some tea. So as they talked the Zen master poured tea into the professors tea cup. As they talked the Zen master kept pouring until the tea cup overflowed and ran off the table onto the professors pants. The professor of course jumped up and exclaimed, "What are you doing, the cup is already too full? You can’t put any more into it!" The Zen master put down the tea pot and responded. "You are very correct professor, the cup is too full. So too with you. You are too full of your own thinking and your own knowledge for me to show you what Zen is about." The same can be said for any topic to be studied. One is too full and must empty themselves of their own thinking about the subject. For us to discover our true nature, the truth of our being, our unlimited creativity and/or claim our birthright, we must step out of mind and all that we think they know and understand. To be out of mind is to step out of all of it and only become a detached witness to what is. Being out of mind brings us to the second story. There is a Kaballah story about four men who began to study and practice this mystical tradition of Judaism. In time, one when crazy, one died, one become a atheist and the other a mystic. When one is able to step out of mind and sees the universe for what it is, there is a risk and the risk is to allow one’s mind to re-enter the picture and begin to judge, question, analyze, attempt to control and other wise impose itself. What we can experience and come to learn when we step out of mind can affect our health. When we become the detached witness we can come to learn to understand how we create our health and disease. If we do not let go and continual to hold to old patterns when we consciously understand how we are scattering our creative life energy, we risk illness and disease, if not an accident. Similarly if we try to reconcile what we see and experience with our currently thinking we can either go crazy for what we think and what we come to learn will not be able to be fully reconciled. Or, we will have to deny what we see and declare it all illusion and nothing but craziness to become that atheist. However if we are able to empty ourselves as suggested in the Zen story, accept what is as it is, and revised our thinking to encompass and embrace what we see and experience unbiased by our mind, we will become what is traditionally described as a mystic. However, the term mystic does not do justice to what we are actually capable of becoming. The term mystic still conveys an individual who is still too much in their mind and trying to fit what they see into the normal way individuals are expected to live in the world. In many ways a mystic is only an individual who stands on the edge and has not yet allowed themselves to fully let go of what it means to be a individuated point of consciousness and a unique aspect of the consciousness within, or behind, Creation. They have found a balance point between their own thinking and retaining their identity and seeing and knowing what stands beyond one’s own thinking. If we let go and are willing to live out of mind, our life will simply become the spontaneous and innocent childlike play of discovery and exploration in wonderment and "ah" at the unfoldment of the Universe. To step our mind and be safe and protected at all times, we simply needs to learn to follow our heart and trust that it will lead us to the experiences we need to have to fully experience and manifest whatever intention we hold that caused us to desire to step out of mind. Knowing how mind operates to characterize what it experiences based on the past we can see the key to seeing the truth of what we experience and see really as it is, is to step out of mind and what we think and believe to simply watch and observe what occurs through the entire creative process. To be "out of" mind from a creativity perspective is to be out of how and what we think about ourselves and the world we inhabit. Or, it can be seen as learning to suspend those beliefs to explore the true nature of Creation. It is to be present to what we feel without mind jumping in. To be "out of mind" is not to be crazy or outside of reason. To be "out of mind" is to become a detached witness where the awareness of our mind stands apart from the mind and its process to observe what happens in mind. It is to not identify with the mind or its process but only to witness as an observer, detached and standing apart from what you observe. Being "out of mind" is to break though various levels of beliefs that keeps our creativity bound. Who and what we are and the source of our creative power lies in the center of our being buried under several layers of beliefs. The beliefs start with what we believe about ourselves followed by what our family and its structure believes. Those beliefs are then followed by what we believe we need to be relative to our neighbors and how we and our family relates to those neighbors. That then is followed by how we, our family, our neighbors relate to the society in which we find ourselves which is determined by what our society and its tradition believes about nature. Then, finally, what our tradition believes about nature’s relationship to God. In the modern world the traditional relationship between God and nature is often reversed such that what we understand about nature is determining our understanding about what we have traditionally called God. In the past, what we believed about God determined how we viewed nature. Now, what we are discovering about nature is determining how we view God. Or, as an alternative, rather than seeing ourselves buried in deep layers of belief, we can look at these layers in the reverse order. Who and what we truly are lies beyond what we believe about God. To find out who and what we are, we need to go beyond our belief about God. But what we believe about God is determined what we believe about the nature of the universe and the world we inhabit. But those beliefs are determined by how society views itself in relation to nature. And of course our neighbors and our family align with the needs and beliefs of society and we are then stuck playing a role determined by what everyone else believes but ourselves. Because the creativity perspective where we hold our creativity sacred can be so different, an important note needs to made and emphasized about this perspective. Although we can live our life from within this creativity perspective, it is designed to allow us to step out of our existing world to find the creative solutions we need for whatever situation we face and then return to our world to implement what we have found. In many ways, the creativity perspective is a tool much like a powerful addictive pain medication can be seen as a tool in medicine. If used properly, it is completely safe and will help you to obtain results we can otherwise not obtain, or would be unable to obtain. However, if used carelessly, it can become an addictive response to the world and used as an excuse to avoid facing what we are responsible for facing and addressing in our life about our own creative ability and what we are causing to happen in our life. If we try and live totally in the creativity perspective we will find much of what we experience is difficult to ground into a physical expression such that we can communicate to another what we experience and/or create the space for them to experience what we experience. Here we will be seen as crazy in the eyes of the world. Not because we are crazy but we have no way to communicate what we experience. Unless of course we access our unlimited creativity for creativity is the language of consciousness that consciousness uses to communicate who and what it is and what it experiences and desires to share. An essential reason as to why step out of mind (Top) To truly understand and learn what the body feels and how it feels we will have to step out of mind. Somewhere, sometime, someplace one will have to find a safe and secure space and give ourselves permission to truly be out of mind. We must step out of all thinking, judging, analyzing and be totally consumed in feelings and sensations. The have to completely step out of how we think the universe works and what they believe. Otherwise the mind will mask the heart. If we do this in awareness, we will be able to calibrate ourselves as to what it feels like to be in alignment with what is symbolized in the heart and flow with the heart. This memory can then be used as a compass and reference point to know when the mind is masking the heart and any other body sensations. Additionally, there is an awareness in what we feel and the awareness in what we feel can give us knowings about ourselves, others and Creation which lie beyond what mind can understand. We cannot access the awareness in feeling if we are in mind. We need to be out of mind totally surrendered in what we feel to access the awareness. How we each choose to step out of mind will be unique to us and how our mind has learned to deny and mask what it feels and how our mind creates its "feelings" that it uses to maintain control. On this note there are levels to stepping out of mind and it may have to be an iterative process. The deeper we can step out, the more profoundly we will feel and experience the interconnectedness of all things and experience the oneness of the universe. In this regard, the goal as to what depth we need to experience the feelings found in what is symbolized by the heart is entirely dependent on the environment in which we live. The rule of thumb is that we will have to step out of mind and go to a depth within ourselves that takes us past the deepest separation we experience in our world. If we feel separated from a loved one, we have to go to a depth that take us past the separation to see the oneness of all that is and the role our loved one is playing for us. If we feel separated from a member of another race, religion, or philosophy, we again will have to go to a depth that takes us past that separation to see the role they play in oneness. If we feel a deep longing in our heart for a "beloved" whether that beloved is a person (the beloved) or a concept of God (the Beloved), we will have to go to a depth within our being to see past the separation to find the true nature of our longing for there is only oneness and all that we feel is only a creation of our own mind. Maintaining safety in stepping out of mind (Top) The first stepping our of mind we should do is to calibrate our internal compass. We should choose to remember some experience in our life which gave us an undeniable passion for life and for living. Then use that feeling as an internal navigational device to make each decision we face when they are out of mind. We should evaluate each decision as to where we are move closer or father away from that internal feeling. In doing so, we will find we will always be grounded in a way that keeps us safe and leads us to a way of being in the world that provides us with an inner satisfaction and internal bliss and joy that never runs dry no matter what is happening in the external world around us. Related topics The Password Protected Area provides access to all currently posted (click for current loading) Releasing Your Unlimited Creativity related discussion files and applications. |
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