Brainwashing ourselves

The gift of sitting in silence is that our thoughts get exposed and we have space and time to witness them. And through witnessing our thoughts we can inquire into them asking ourselves is this belief even true? Where did this belief come from? When did I start believing it? What evidence do I have to support this belief? Who am I when I continue to believe this belief and who could I be if I didn’t?

This is inquiry, we are now inquiring into the thoughts and often this new line of thought, the inquiry itself can override and liberate us from the thought patterns or loops that have been on continuous play, unquestioned and unchecked. Sometimes for our whole life, we have been investing in a false belief, a wayward thought. So much that we hadn’t even considered there could be something else, a different way of being.

I love the term ‘brainwashing’ because in a way this is the gift that self Inquiry can bring. We are taking the time to clean our minds from all its bullshit. Dissolving the embedded thought loops, belief patterns which I like to call programs, from our reality, The aim of self inquiry is to reprogram ourselves back into our original alignment to truth, to our inner wisdom and to move once more in a co creative flow with life.

The voices in our head

We’re always having inner monologue, conversations in our heads, constantly reaffirming who we think we are. In the stillness and silence we can inquire “Who am I having these conversations with?” “ Who lives in my head?” “Who influences me?”.

This could be family and friends, people you follow on social media? Your guru, teacher, priest? The aspects of yourself created to protect you from trauma?

Inquire into, “What influences am I allowing my life?”,  “How am I coaching, manipulating, moderating, and expressing myself as a direct response to the influence of these forces?

We can go even deeper if we look at what beliefs we let influence us. We can inquire what energy field am I holding myself in? Why who am I when I create myself from this energy? Is this an alignment to who I see myself to be? What do I need to change, let go of or understand? Is there someone or something in our lives we need to change our relationship too? As more often than not it's not our outside environment we need to change but our inner one.

This wonderful verse by Jalaluddin Rumi serves as a beautiful reminder to be with the created persons of our mind...

THE GUEST HOUSE

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness

comes as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honourably.

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,

and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.