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)
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.
What Are Your Feelings About Living?
How do you interact with living life? Please, be honest with yourself when you answer. Do you live from an emotional and conscious state of being? We usually express a feeling or emotion in the same context. And, we think these are two sides of the same coin. Let’s use me as an example to illustrate. I am a sensitive person. Thus, and accordingly, I tend to express myself through emotions, both my own and from others with whom I interact.
However, there was a time when my emotional interaction with life consisted of how I felt about life and living. There is a difference. The first interaction (emotional) is a natural response to any given life experience. The second interaction (feeling) is a mind process. And, conditioned behavior and reactions nurture a feeling. Emotional responses are within a stream of naturally flowing energy. On the other hand, recycled thoughts generate feelings. And, we commonly view life and express ourselves through feelings and not by the initial emotional response to living.
The mind quickly distracts us. Thus, restricts us from remaining within the space of conscious awareness. Nonetheless, with practice, it is possible to remain in a space of non-attachment. Then, we can unconditionally explore a thought or feeling as it manifests during any experience.
