conscious awareness

108 posts

Infinite Consciousness and Limitations of the Mind

The following is in response to George Ionita’s (Facebook) recent question about Ramana Maharshi’s insight relating to consciousness. Do you often feel uneasy? Does it seem that you are suffocating due to daily activities and interactions? These are limitations of the mind. Yes, I realize that we think that the mind is the answer to all questions. But, the mind is a box. Our essence, on the other hand, is infinite. So, now is the moment for us to go outside of this box. Then we can experience how it feels to unconventionally and unconditionally live.

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Our natural state of being is outside the limits of conventional thinking. But, the mind has kept us closed up within a self-constructed box that it has defined as “our” reality. That is to say. Until now. The emphasized is on the now as a portal to conscious awareness. How do you feel after reading the insight within these sentences? Does something deep within you silently, but encouragingly, acknowledge this unlimited space as you true essence? Trust this feeling because your awareness is allowing universal consciousness to flow unrestricted by the mind. Continue reading →

I Can’t Go on Living a Lie! How About You?

We often believe that everyone and everything wants something from us. The mind feeds us thoughts that cause us worry, uncertainty, and fear. Likewise, we become frantic with ego-infested thoughts of always needing or wanting something. Also, the mind insists everything it tells us is right. Wow! That is a lot to deal with each moment. But, is it possible that we are living a lie? Furthermore, what happened to free-will?

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Are we pursuing a lie based on conditioned behavior? Yes, most likely. But, strange enough, we identify with this lie. It is a lie based on conformity. Both personal and collective. This untruth starts at a very young age. So, what transpired when we were young? Young children usually experience living without conditioned boundaries. Does the world demand so much that we forget about consciousness? Yes. This would be appropriate to say. Thus, we conform to the mind, people, and situational demands. Hence, conditioned behavior overshadows conscious being. This teaches us to always pursue a mind-made lie. We are self-conscious of the world around us. However, self-consciousness evolves from object-oriented consciousness.

For the most part, object self-consciousness is only from the perspective of our human form. The world seems to be full of demands. And, we start chasing these demands at a very early age. Alas, each day seems to only bring more and more demands. These wants and demands clutter and pollute the space of universal consciousness. This manipulates and even restricts our experience of this space. The mind and this conditioned behavior misguide us. Thus, we mostly live a lie. Continue reading →

Isness of Life Is to Live and Be Here Now

Here is an example that we can use to illustrate the benefits of staying in the isness of now. Presence manifests without any reference to the mind storybook or our existence. The following insight relates to the recent article Storybook Experiences of the Mind.

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The isness of the moment is similar to receiving an empty box. You are truly aware that the carton is empty when you are consciously awake. You see the box for what it is in that moment. Whereas the unconscious person will likely say, what do I want with an empty box? Or will say, this box is nothing but garbage. There is usually expectations, frustrations or joy associated with receiving the box.

However, the awakened person will likely experience heightened creativity. There is more conscious space, and even more awareness to the isness of the moment. The empty box offers a doorway to the universe. Many of us have experienced this as children. A child, when given an empty box, often will concentrate solely on what is there. Still, the child does not see just an empty box. Rather, children become the isness of now. What does this mean? This means that they are consciously aware of the moment. Therefore, each experience heightens their awareness. Thus, spontaneous and ongoing creativity occurs. Continue reading →

Storybook Experiences of the Mind

Stories, stories, and more stories. Everyone loves a good story. We (mind) love to tell a good story. Furthermore, the stories we tell are part of our own personal storybook. The stories are a combination of every person’s experiences. A conditioned mind orchestrates these experiences according to its own design.

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There would normally be no story or storybook if we were able to live in the moment. Likewise, anything other than the isness of now is a story. We create the paragraphs, the chapters, and the book itself. It is a book of fiction. But, the mind insists it’s real. Alas, it seems very tangible. However, most of what the mind tells us is not what has or what will happen. Nothing in this storybook is as it seems unless we decide that it has or will happen.

You may ask, Steve, what are you saying? I am not responsible for the people, situations or experiences that take place in each moment. It is true that any individual cannot truly change the behavior of a person. Nor, the details of a situation. However, it is possible for each person to change his or her point of perspective in each moment. It is very difficult for the mind to accept that nothing and everything is happening each second. Still, the key is in realizing that it is each person’s conscious awareness that determines the outcome of an experience. Continue reading →

How to Use the Library Card Catalog of the Mind

There are many consciously awakening people that wish to stop thinking. The desire is to reduce the number of thoughts in the mind. Thus, allowing space. This space nurtures conscious awareness. Meditation is becoming more and more popular for this very reason. Still, the mind is similar to a Library card catalog.

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Thus, the mind can cause frustration for individuals during the conscious awakening process. This is because everyone uses the mind in attempts to create a state of non-thinking. We can logically conclude that this is impossible. Using the mind to reach a state of non-thinking is similar to what Albert Einstein once said about problem solving. We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.

But, we can practice going beyond the mind. Does this sound absurd? So, what does this actually imply? The mind always processes information. Countless thought impulses demand our attention each moment. Must we listen? Should we jump when the mind tells us? No, of course not. But this unconscious state is still how the majority of people live life. So, how can we make thoughts stop? We cannot. This is impossible. Therefore, why don’t we simply acknowledge and accept the mind’s activities. This is, with practice, easier than it sounds. The mind’s library card catalog lists everything we experience. The mind readily gives us one or more index cards in the form of thoughts or emotions. But, presence, more so, experiencing presence doesn’t require the mind. (I realize that the mind is now telling you that I am naïve, crazy or both.) Continue reading →

Focusing on Life: Are You Ready?

More awareness to life allows consciousness to thrive. Take a deep breath for a moment before the mind takes over. Focusing on life has nothing to do with daily details; mind or otherwise. Instead we are referring to object consciousness guiding our interactions with being alive. You have probably read/heard the following insight. Become conscious of consciousness. Consciousness will work hand in hand with the mind once the awakening process starts. Thus, the mind no longer dominates the experience of living. Yes, the mind will still function. And, the mind does this better than ever before because it has accepted the role of co-pilot.

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Hence, the mind, can and will relearn and gradually trust this field of universal intelligence. The conditioned mind misinterprets life and manipulates or restricts conscious awareness. We never really overcame the shock initiated by the knowledge of our human self in perspective to the universe (self-awareness).

This is probably why the mind established its dominance over our state of being alive. We literally fell back into a deep sleep (consciously speaking) instead of self-awareness blossoming. The beginning of our evolution was an explosive array of human characteristic development. This literally overwhelmed our newly blossomed consciousness. So, the mind overpowered consciousness and has dominated it since. But, more and more people are experiencing a change. Clarity, spaciousness, and creativity are blossoming as we experience true presence. Still, it is frightening for many people to let go and live beyond thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. However, the desire to be free of mind conditioning is reconnecting us with something deep within. Fear fades and we don’t take thoughts too seriously. Continue reading →

Corruption or Purification? It Is Your Decision

The mind overwhelms us with wants and demands. Moreover, it has become a victim of its own demise. The mind experiences a corruption of its own making. The need for more is always in the background of our activities. We want more. But why? Perhaps evolutionary development and conditioning are two main factors.

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You may first ask what is this mind corruption? Well, let’s look at it as a type of de-evolution. Or, the term devolved is also accurate. So, what does this mean? We were once very conscious and pure before the mind began to dominate our experiences. We basically lived as the plants and animals live and die. Then along came mental development and self-consciousness. Conditioned thought and behavior patterns developed in the mind. The mind became clever and egoistic. Suddenly, it was not enough just to live. We experienced contamination of the mind. Life could no longer simply flow. This resulting in a type of unbalance and disharmony. And, the mind thrives on the energy vibrations caused by this imbalance. And the mind always needs more.

But our awareness of presence, however, has become distracted by this mind corruption. This trend would suggest that we are living a lie. We use trivialities, such as technology, materialistic objects, and misguided thought intentions to define, structure, and dominate our existence. Continue reading →

You Exist but Are You Truly Living?

Everything is happening as it should happen. Moreover, we are experiencing everything according to our specific vibrations. We exist. But often we are not aware of being alive. This may sound very silly. But, please stop listening to the mind clattering away and tune into the vibrations of life.

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Our behavior is still mostly repetitive and unconscious. Yes, it is correct to say that we laugh, we cry, and often we are afraid. But are we actually experiencing life? Everyone will have a slightly different answer. So, how alive are we? This will depend on the level of our conscious awareness. The mind is always analyzing. Still, we cannot interpret or define the act of living or being conscious. Nor, should we try. Therefore, the mind distracts us. Thus, it seems that we strive to obtain the knowledge of life. But, in actuality, this mind-game keeps us catching our own tail without knowing why. There is a down-side to this phenomenon. The mind manipulates us with details. Thus, we cannot truly experience life. Continue reading →

You Are Blissful Conscious Enlightenment

Many people wish to reach spiritual enlightenment because we interpret this as something that will give us peace. We assume this will make us happy. However. must we feel good or must everything be blissful before we can experience enlightenment? This is unlikely because a universe of objects is not permanent. There will always be changes occurring that can cause confusion and discomfort.

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Enlightenment does not necessarily become obvious only when we are happy and healthy. Conscious awareness is possible through the relationship with the self, the mind, and the universe. This determines how we experience everything. We either acknowledge and accept enlightenment or not.

Therefore, it is wise to experience any situation as a human being. But understand that true enlightenment is beyond superficial details and limitations. Our behavior and perception are usually based on a conditioned mind. Thus, the mind can actually limit us from experiencing life first-hand. Similarly, the mind paints a picture that illustrates blissfulness as a portal to enlightenment. But, it is the other way around. We accept our state of enlightened being and bliss blossoms. Continue reading →

Intentional demands or Conscious Living

Does living consciously suggest that experiencing consciousness must be intentional? Furthermore, must awareness be intentional before it is possible to consciously awaken and to be conscious? Let’s ask one additional question. Does the intention to live more consciously originate in the mind, from the realm of consciousness, or both?

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Let’s first start with a clear understanding of intentional. The internet Dictionary describes it as something done on purpose and being deliberate. Many life-forms experience consciousness at a given level. Therefore, does a bird or plant have the intention to be conscious? No, this is unlikely. You would probably agree that it is also unlikely that other known objects in the universe contemplate being conscious. And yet, a rock, tree, or bee exists and is one with the universe and life without any intent. Continue reading →