Om! Emotions and their identification with the thinking process - Atman Nityananda

Emotions and their identification with the thinking process

When there are not strong emotions associated with the thinking our identification with the thoughts is very weak. In this case the thought process subsides very easily only by giving attention to it.

But when there are emotions or a desire behind the thoughts, the identification is strong and becomes difficult to us to stop the identification and the thinking process.

The stronger the emotions or the desire associated with the specific thoughts the stronger the identification  will be and more difficult the disidentification will happen and the subside of the particular thoughts. That's why for example when we are angry we cannot control our mind and usually we regret for the words we said and the action we did under the influence of anger. The same happens with fear. When fear is expressed in relation with something then particular thoughts occur repeatedly in the mind. The same happens with desire. When desire for sex is activated the mind is filled with sexual thoughts.

Thus it is necessary to investigate not only the thoughts but what emotions, desire, need and belief is behind these thoughts.

When we are in the self-observation mode (we must be always or as much as possible we can) we must also focus our attention to our body in order to discover what emotions, sensations, impulses are functioning in relation with the thoughts that appear in the mind.

By being conscious of our emotional and mental patterns we have the opportunity to free ourselves from its dominion. We cannot free ourselves from something that we ignore or we do not know well enough. 

Then with the power of laser like attention, discrimination and enquiry* we must stop the identification of emotions or the desire with the particular thoughts which of course are related with some object or situation aw well as we must  apply some ´technique´** in order to eliminate the emotional or desire energy.

This is the only way to free ourselves from the egoic tendencies and enjoy the peace and bliss of our true nature (Atman, consciousness).

NOTE:

attention, discrimination and enquiry*:

ENQUIRY BY QUESTIONING: Appropriate questions are perhaps the most helpful way (especially in the first period of our sadhana) to stop our identification with the thoughts and the emotions and also to disassociate the emotions from the thoughts (viz. to perceive thoughts and emotions as separate). By questioning what we feel and think we take the energy from the mental and emotional stuff and also we gather our attention and we become alert and self-aware. From that state (of self-awareness and alertness) we can take farther 'steps' to eliminate the emotional energy (of course the dissolution of all egoic tendencies and emotions needs a more holistic approach). Together with questioning is also necessary a focused discriminative attention.

The energy of emotions or the desire starts to fade out already by disidentifying from the stream of thoughts and the emotions and much more by perceiving the emotions or the desire (which nature is also emotional) as separate 'things' from the particular thoughts that are associated. We can manage to perceive the emotions and thoughts as separate by putting full attention on them alternately (on the thoughts only and then to the emotions only) and by the capacity of discrimination.

In the case of desire in order to stop identification with it, perhaps the most powerful way is to change the imagined image of the desired object. The desire always in order to delude us projects itself on an image. By the power of imagination the desire makes this images to appear very attractive. So if we change this image with a disgusting image then the attraction fades out and the desire subsides. Together with this we can apply a ´technique´** (see below) to dissolve the desire energy.

For example if the desire for sex arises in us and is projected on an image of a woman with blond hairs etc. then we must change this image and imagine this woman without skin, seeing the flesh, the blood and the bones behind the skin or we can imagine how this woman will be at the age of 80, with a wrinkly skin, without hairs etc.

Another way is to think about the momentary nature of pleasure and that one day we have to abandon it any way as well as the suffering that is associated with pleasure. Of course a tamasic and rajasic mind cannot do these reflections; it sees the pleasures as paradise on earth.

´technique´**: 

We can pray to divinity or the Divine Shakti to dissolve this particular energy. 

We can also repeat a mantra of God or the Divine mother (Om, Om Sri Durgaye namaha, Om Jesus Christ namaha, Om nama Shivay etc.). 

Another more advanced way (if we are capable to do so) is to 'download' the power of the silent space within on the emotion by focusing our attention in the source of the silent space and then without to lose connection with it to put our attention also to the emotion.

READ 

PRÁCTICA PARA LA DISOLUCIÓN DEL EGO