The Power of Thought, the Observer is the Observed
“The finite will never grasp the infinite.” - Carl Jung
Our dialogue began when one of our members spoke about how do we let go of the storm our thoughts create in the mind. This led us into an amazing intimate dialogue. This dialogue made me deeply reflect and here is my stream of consciousness that illustrates what I learned and understood. Remember to please share your thoughts in the comment section down below.
Suffering of the mind is usually sparked by insecurity, fear, isolation, etc.
Can we actually know and be aware when we are in that storm and understand that it is impermanent? What happens when the mind quiets and not only is there no storm, there is also no thought?
Can we begin to act out of that space instead of reacting especially when we are in the midst of the storm in our mind? I know that when I am angry I project that anger upon all I perceive. If I act out of that anger and judge and feel righteous, what happens in that action? If I act out of the stillness of my mind to deal with that same situation (I waited for the anger to abate) would there be a difference in outcome?
This led us into how we are society, all of us collectively living together. Can we really change things? Are people by nature aggressive or do they also have love? Why do we focus so much on the aggression? Are we so impacted by the way our culture acts that we think all people are this way? Did indigenous cultures live like this culture does?
How does our language impact the way we see? Indigenous cultures had very different language structures with an emphasis on verbs instead of nouns. If that is the case, that in and of itself illustrates that they saw things differently. This all goes into how thought which is of the past, which is images and language, impacts the very way in which we observe the world.
We cannot extricate ourselves from what we behold, the observer is the observed. This goes into why it is so important not to become reactive when one is in a psychological crisis or internal struggle. For, when one reacts out of this place, one projects that cloud upon the very thing one is in contact with. Now, this doesn’t mean that the person shouldn’t process and find a healthy release of the storm within, but it is important generally speaking to not react against anyone in this situation. In this stillness, is when we mirror that upon the world and can see and discern clearly. And I wonder if in this space, we would begin to create a more beautiful language, a poetic language that invokes love and connection rather than separation and division.
It seems that the smaller the group of people the more opportunity for voice to be heard. In actuality, how can we have a democracy when we have 350,000,000 people? It is impossible. True democracy happens in the smallness of community. This goes into schools as well. How can children be seen and have a voice when there are over 20 students in a classroom? Small is important. There is a great need for dialogue in our schools, businesses, and families.
Learning how to listen, learning how to talk through difficulties, and how to understand when one’s mind is stormy and how to deal with that in a healthy way, can help foster an egalitarian democratic sustaining community.
From children on up, there is a need to understand power and control. It seems that maybe before any group gets together, is to put that out on the table for if there are people who are entering into that space without really knowing themselves, they can easily get caught up in our societal roles of power. Part of dialogue is to wake us up to self and group knowledge and the awareness of power.
Diving into oneself, diving into the storm, digging into I am, the sunlight of stillness is there, and has been all along. In this stillness, the light of clarity floods all, and one sees that all is okay.
Question to end with: If one has power within, does one need power externally?
Those that want power shouldn’t have it. Those that should be in power, don’t want it. What does this illustrate about power and why people either want it or don’t want it?
What is it that we can control? What is power? Can we change and let go of our thoughts that are limited and dive into the infinite?
