Consciousness

348 posts

This is a topic category for www.steveleasock.com that offers articles about object and universal consciousness, presence and living consciously.

The Brain, the Mind and the True You

The brain is physical. It is an organ of the body. People, study and categorize it. It is a treasure chest of unknown possibilities. And, this is where mental processes of input-output occurs. It provides us with the opportunity to acquire knowledge. Additionally, it expresses this information in thoughts and emotions. So, what about the mind? The mind is something different. Let’s consider the brain as a portal to the mind. The mind can consciously observe the energy of the brain. Likewise, it can be aware of what is beyond brain, body and itself.

brain

Acknowledge that the brain is the gateway to the mind. But, the two are not the same. This recognition is beneficial to our conscious awakening. Thus, our conscious evolution. The mind has no substance. Literally no one can clearly and factually explain its origin. Furthermore, there is no actual prove that the mind even exists. Yes, people try to explain the mind throughout our history. The Buddha, Aristotle and Plato considered this topic. And, most likely, many other individuals since then. Continue reading →

A Roller Coaster Ride Called Life

We call love and life a roller coaster ride, but why? Why do we expect difficulties when we love? This behavior is synonymous with other reactions to basically any experience in life. It would seem that we want everything to be intricate. And, this upside-down relationship with the mind has developed during our evolution. However, don’t let this servitude behavior hold you captive. Robin Sharma wrote the following in his book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams & Reaching Your Destiny. Robin Sharma suggests that the mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master.

roller

Let’s reflect on probable implications of this insight. A person in balance with the mind, body and and inner self will experience a harmonious relationship with life. Thus, loving and living can be a blissful roller coaster ride. And, contrary to Robin Sharma’s suggestion. Our affiliation with the mind does not necessarily prescribe one as the master and the other as a servant. Please remember that the oneness of life that we communicate through written and spoken gestures is not just a word. It is the totality in a flow of unmanifested and manifested energy. Naturally, this includes the frequency generated as love.

Continue reading →

Veil of Fear that Confuses You

It seems forever since I observed a tree leaf sailing so gracefully to a stream below.
The summer had been so warm, the days so long.
How long has it been since that moment in time?
Was it one year, ten years, or was it just yesterday?
The mind casts a veil of fear that is so confusing.
Time can be so misleading, ever so fragile.
Not real, and yet, seems so tangible.
And, yet, life as a boy seemed so simple back then… or was it?

veil

No, not really.
Life truly understood… is neither nor.
Life just is.
However, I sat next to a stream in the forest each day.
Somehow, lost between here and there.
The water flowing just as life flows.
Life and the stream seem everlasting.
And, so I often sat just watching the water flow by.
Life bubbling from the water.
Curiosity occasionally caused me to toss a stone in the water.
The mind always asking why.
But, more often than not I just sat.
I was oblivious as life flowed by. Continue reading →

The Stream of Life and What You Perceive

I remember a flowing stream from long ago. And, this stream played a significant role in my childhood. Furthermore, it is a beneficial focus point that I use during my ongoing conscious awakening. I grew up in a mountainous area. There were ponds, lakes and brooks everywhere. I explored such places and the nearby woodland during my childhood. Have you ever crossed a shallow mountain brook? This is where a person can experience real perception. Your level of awareness is very active during an attempt to cross a brook. Otherwise, a misperception or unaware assumption results in a wet foot or a cold bath in the water.

stream

Therefore, crossing a mountain stream gives us an opportunity to appreciate and practice aware presence. Likewise, this state of presence offers a chance to flow within universal consciousness. Thus, we realize our totality as both object and universal consciousness in such a moment. Continue reading →

A Controversial Look into How You Live

Firstly, I wish to apologize to anyone that has read my second book Simplicity of Life. There is bad editing such as text flow and grammar mistakes within the book. I am perhaps naïve. I realize that it is years since the publication. But, the editor told me that the editing and grammar were fine. I accepted the editor’s assuring statement as correct. But, the bad editing and lack of sentence flow are the result of my oversight and my trusting nature. I only recently took a critical look at the book’s text flow and grammar. Thus, I made many text changes and grammar corrections within the chapters. I feel that the revised text offers you an easier to read inquiry into controversial topics. Therefore, I wish to offer you this revised version of the book, as a free downloadable PDF document.

Controversial

Yes, the reading material is difficult due to the nature of the topics. However, I feel strongly that we all desire harmony and bliss on the path of life. Nevertheless, reading about such controversial topics unleash conditional mind behavior patterns that developed over thousands upon thousands of years. We innately know the truth at the depth of our being. However, all structures of our development have taught us to question, deny and fear something that is actually fundamental. Ultimately, the nature of our beingness has nothing to do with the mind. Equally, the essence of our being (isness) is simplistic when we go beyond mind interference and restrictions. Therefore, the next step on the path of life is hopefully our awakening to a conscious evolution. Continue reading →

Soup of the Day and the Life You Live

No, contrary to the title I am not opening a restaurant that offers a soup of the day 😊. Instead, I do wish to share an experience to serve as a signpost on the path of your conscious awakening. Why does the mind always want more even when there is no need for more? Here I am referring to more of anything. I learned a beneficial lesson in conscious living though the simple act of preparing soup.

soup

It began many years ago. I participated in bodybuilding, marathon running and mountain climbing. My diet always varied slightly and offered needed supplements and food groups for these activities. I experimented with low-fat recipes and discovered a soup mixture that gave me the needed carbohydrates each day. I often prepared noodles with herbs and cheese. And, it always tasted different depending on the type of herbs and cheese. This is always a delicious meal.

However, there came a day when I started to add more ingredients to the soup. I can now say that, in hindsight, it is clear to me why I added new ingredients to the soup. I was not present. And, I was not aware of my beingness within the moment. Thus, I was not aware of the mind’s insistence to get more. This may sound too easy when expressed this way. But, life is simple and easy. This is equally true for the experiences we have in life. Our existence would readily harmonize with life if we were more aware of living within presence. Continue reading →

Calculate, Delegate and Consolidate Beyond the Mind

Are we dependent on the mind? And, does the mind have the ability to truly calculate the depth of our conscious interaction with life? Did you answer these questions with a yes? That’s fine if you did. After all, the mind calculates. That is what it does. Therefore, the mind analyses and, in its own interest, tells you to say yes. However, let’s attempt to consciously step beyond the mind. And, in the same moment also be aware that the mind is still there. It sounds confusing but don’t let thoughts manipulate your state of conscious being. Acknowledge that the conditional mind is like a box. Therefore, let’s use the cliché go outside the box. To illustrate conscious presence.

calculate

Indeed! How would it be to live beyond the limitations of the mind. Recognize that it is possible to consciously live and still use the mind. Imagine how it would be to fully live without the mind interfering. Continue reading →

Desiderata Because Life is about You

Are you familiar with the writings of Max Ehrmann? He wrote the poem Desiderata in 1927. I wrote an article with topics relating to this poem several years ago. A person, at that time, reminded me of the poem during a conversation about our experiences in high school.

Desiderata

It is obvious that materialistic merits and always getting more is the focus of most people. But, this results in, among other things, always wanting more and more. This means that enough is never enough. Furthermore, wanting and needing causes people to feel isolated and alone. However, we are beings of the universe. Therefore, our presence portraits a universal beingness. Thus, the universe becomes conscious of itself through us. Nevertheless, we have forgotten our essence. Thus, gone down a path that distracts us from consciously observing each step on this journey.

Continue reading →

Nice Is the Life That You Live Now

Let’s use the word nice to express the immensity of presence. It is also ideal as a reminder or a mantra during daily activities. Furthermore, we associate nice with good. And, aware presence is a good way to live. 😊 In itself, the use of words is a component of our existence as a necessity for sharing with each other. Nevertheless, our attachment to the thoughts associated with words cause us difficulty. However, we can teach the mind not to expect us to remain a victim of this conditioned behavior. And, at the same time use a word such as nice for the purpose of expanding our conscious awareness.

nice

We use verbal communication to express ourselves. How is this helpful? A word used to express something, such as NICE, is how we share an idea. However, the focus point of anything whether in the expression of the past, present or future should be now. Presence is the moment itself and not a word or thing within the moment. This sounds ridiculous but it is an unavoidable fact. Nonetheless, the conditioned mind expects you to believe otherwise. Nevertheless, it is nice, no pun intended, to fully awaken to the significance of you beingness within this moment. Continue reading →

Feelings and Thoughts Will Confuse You

Feelings and thoughts come and go. Or, do they? First, let’s be clear that your feelings and thoughts are not real. Yes, of course, these seem so real. But, there are not. Therefore, don’t attach your state of presence to feeling or thinking during the experience of one or the other. Feeling originates from the verb to feel and thinking is the process of considering or reasoning. (web dictionary)

feelings

Should we take this definition at face value? If yes, then why don’t we consciously experience empathy and aware presence more often? The act of feeling derives from personal experiences. These develop into behaviorism that reinforce thoughts and reactions and vise versa. Patterns of thinking develop and flourish in the same manner. Feelings are mind interpretations of our emotions.

Therefore, is it possible to express an emotion or thought without feeling or thinking about either? Yes, I’m diving deep into the philosophical rabbit hole with this statement. But, attachment to either is counterproductive during the process of conscious awakening. An emotion and a feeling first appear to be the same. So, hold onto your chair. The following insight will take you further down the rabbit hole. Continue reading →