to see how the mind operates, the nature of my life was a never-ending adventure of change, success, failure, pleasure, and pain. I used to tell myself that I would be happy “once I have [thing or situation].” The problem was, I repeatedly got what I thought I needed to be happy, I was happy for a brief while, and then it passed. What was going on? My investigation eventually led me to look inside rather than outside. As I learned to observe the mind, I was amazed to see an entire inner universe unfolding. Inside it were the keys to my happiness, unhappiness, and much, much more. This book shares my discovery of the mind.... 2
a psychologist, counselor, or doctor. Information in this book is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by a professional. Please do not use any of the information supplied in this book to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem or disease. If you have or suspect that you have a health problem, please promptly contact your health care provider. 3
Humans are said to have thousands upon thousands of audio thoughts per day. These thoughts serve as inner commentary, ideas, and a narrative of life. What audio thoughts? I don’t have any audio thoughts. It’s only me in here…
are a state of mind that are associated with minor to significant changes in its experience. Changes include differences in the types, occurrences, and frequencies of thoughts, body sensations, behaviors, and other mental constructs that enter awareness. Humans have a wide variety of emotions that are generally based on core emotions including joy, anger, disgust, fear, and sadness, or any mix of those or of variations in their magnitude.
Body sensations come in many different forms. Here are a few with which you are likely familiar: • Touch • Smell • Sound • Sight • Taste • Stress • Soreness • Pain • Head sensations (such as tiredness) These sensations may occur when prompted by an outside stimulus or when created. (touch) This is amazing!!
Impression thoughts are impressions of emotions or body sensations that occur in the mind without any external or body stimulus. This may occur randomly or when associated with something else in awareness. For example, when you see and feel a mosquito on you, you may then “feel” the sensation of another mosquito on you a minute later when there is none. This feeling was generated entirely in the mind as a thought. This can happen with emotions tastes, and other sensations, all of which start out as a flash in the mind but can spread to a full reaction if taken seriously. I shouldn’t have to do this. This is so frustrating. 1 OK, I will do it. Could you do this for me? 2 (frustration thought appears) What am I frustrated about? Oh, I remember…
are physical movements of the body. They are another expression of mind. When you see an ice cream truck, for example, and decide you would like one, you take the necessary physical behaviors to get the ice cream, including: • Walking over to the ice cream place • Asking for it or selecting a flavor • Providing the necessary payment • Eating the ice cream 1 Mmm. Ice cream... ICE CREAM 2
storage of impressions that were experienced in the mind. It can take many forms, including: • Thoughts • Sensations • Behaviors • Other constructions of mind Memories are almost always smaller, shorter, or less complete versions of what was fully experienced. They can also be skewed or changed from reality by the experience at the time they were generated or when the memory is recalled. The Memory 12 Ice cream
link between two building blocks or other aspects of mind. The associative mind is extremely complex and efficient, creating immensely detailed associative structures that can recall a lot of information at once or only recall a few pieces of information that is needed or associated with the current situation. The Association 15 Banana (audio thought) Banana Ice Cream (memory) Banana (image sensation)
single building block or association of building blocks that form an entity in the mind, which can then be linked to other aspects of mind. When you eat a banana, for example, you perceive tons of information and sensations about the banana. The mind cannot remember all the impressions and data about the banana, nor recall the information easily when it is not organized. Instead, it creates a concept of the banana that associates information that is considered relevant or important. Concept Banana Real Banana The Concept 16 Yellow Green Brown Stem Lines Texture Length Width Girth Weight Shape Strength Moisture Peel Inside Taste Volume Density Change Chewiness Trees Temperature Composition (and so on) Name: Banana Fruit Food Turns from green to yellow to brown Best when yellow Inexpensive Somewhat nutritious Tastes ok
become concepts. Associations between concepts become meta-concepts. This goes on and on indefinitely, quickly becoming an immense network of mind. The Network 17 Banana (concept) Fruit Strawberry Apple Food Ice Cream Banana Ice Cream Good Delicious (concept) Happy (Emotion) Taste (sensation) Eating ice cream with Dad at age 5 (memory) Dad Mom Grocery store (concept) Fruit aisle (memory image) Walking (behavior) Pickup up banana (memory, behavior) Weight and feel (touch sensations, memory) “Bananas in pajamas” (memory, audio thought)
construct of a person or point of view that is created in the mind. Perspectives are images, sounds, concepts, and other aspects of mind that are pulled from memory or created to approximate that person or perspective from your point of view. All these aspects of mind are combined into a working construct. The Perspective 19 1 I wonder if Jeff would like this banana ice cream. 2 3 Hey Jeff, would you like this banana ice cream. Umm. Thanks??? I’m not hungry. If I want one, I’ll get my own. Yup, that’s exactly what I would expect Jeff to say.
at concepts or aspects of mind surrounding a given situation and determines that a different set concepts or aspects of mind is preferred. A positive association is then attached to the desired state, while a negative association is often attached to the current state. The concept applied to this situation is a “problem.” Once defined, the mind attempts to generate a bridge of behaviors, concepts, and other aspects of mind between the current and preferred state. The mind builds and executes the bridge until either the preferred state is achieved or interest is abandoned. The Problem Solver 20 Solution Concepts Problem Concepts Implementation Concept Beard Dirty Disapproval from others Loneliness Sad Bad No Beard Clean Approval from others Popular Happy Good Caveman George Clooney Handsome Shaving Razor Shaving cream Lather Sink Hot Water Check Hairs gone Mirror Stroke
emotions, concepts, and memories, then projects them into a fantasy land. The fantasy land is includes a set of emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and body sensations that are complements to its inputs. The imagination can include positive or negative associations. The Imagination 21 Wanting to be happy Wanting Ice Cream Wanting freedom Wanting to feel alive Flying with Ice Cream Fantasy I can go wherever I want! The air feels so amazing! This is the best banana ice cream ever!
blocks or concepts in the mind that are learned, refined, and repeated. This can be anything from learned behaviors (like shaving or tying shoes) to highly complex arrangements like how a person acts in response to anger, relationships, etc. The Conscious Sequence 22 Stubble on face (sight) Associations Run Associations Run Caveman Woman frown Lonely Beard No Beard SHAVE Clean Woman Happy Me Happy Lather Stroke Associations Run Stroke again Hair gone? Move on More hair? Rinse Check mirror for stubble
a subconscious sequence that happens so quickly it does not register consciously. This may occur when you are doing something very routine, like eating food. The repetitive links between food, the desire to eat, and the behavior of putting it in your mouth is so ingrained that this sequence may run automatically without you noticing. Automatic sequences may include any aspect of mind, such as feeling afraid of a person when seeing a firearm in a person’s holster, even though the firearm did not catch your attention. The Automatic Sequence 23 1 What am I going to do tonight? 2 3 ...no, I’ve already seen that... HEY! WHO ATE MY ICE CREAM??!
sequence that feeds into itself over and over again. Loops can occur with thoughts, emotions, behaviors, or other brain patterns. Some loops can be very clear and very short, like being sad because of unhealthy eating, eating to make yourself feel better, and repeating. Other loops can be much longer and occur over many years, such as how a person responds when getting into and out of occupations. The Loop 24 Returns home, reads books by self Goes out to eat, makes small talk with people. I’m lonely. I want to be around people.
of mind in many ways were given to us by chance, based on our upbringing, society, and life experiences. Many associations and experiences will inevitably be joyful and constructive, while others are inevitably painful or destructive. The way out of the mind or reconstructing its patterns begins with observing the mind. The more the mind is observed and the more these (or your own) elements and constructs are observed, the more you will detach yourself from it and the freer your experience will be. Seeing the Mind 27 1 You know what would be really great right now? Banana ice cream. 2 (sees that it was just a thought and moves on)
to the entire mind’s network and experience is the concept called “I”. When you believe that you are an “I”, you are believing that you are a concept. The more you associate other concepts with the “I” like “human”, “man” or “woman”, this or that, you begin believing that you are the concepts of these things. As a result, you may try to be and act like you believe these concepts act, until the mind starts running your entire life based on your network around your “I” concept. If you can find your “I”, see that it is only a concept, and release any emotional attachment associated with it, your experience will consist of less and less conditioned mind and more of your own creation. The Concept of “I” 28 1 2 Hey, little man. Your name is Kevin and you are amazing!! Yay!!! I’m Kevin and I’m amazing!! Woohoo! You are also a boy, an American, a human, and a Washington Redskins fan. Oh wow! Tell me more. If I’m a Redskins fan, does that mean I like football? 3 Yes, we like football. Let me show you what football is and how to appropriately yell at the tv screen. I just learned that I’m a football fan and that I yell at the tv screen. This is so cool!
observed the mind, the more I saw all of these events unfolding before me. Their depths showed me how my entire of experience of life was constructed, which in time illuminated how I can change or create new constructions. The result, and especially the detachment from the “I”, has led me to more freedom and peace than I have ever known. For any readers who are seeking more freedom… if you find that you have entered a maze, you can always turn around and leave. Epilogue
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