*  WANDERINGS THROUGH THE MINDVERSE*

"All who wander are not lost."
                           -J.R.R. Tolkien

"...but I might be, anyway."
                               -me
The natural state of the human being is one of unbounded joy, delight in
self and earnest engagement with every aspect of one's environment.
Moreover, the labors we endure, the tribulations we experience, and even
the tragedies we suffer can all be put into the service of sustaining the
intense life force with which we have all been endowed by the simple virtue
of our humanity.   A fanciful, even preposterous, assertion?
Many people would describe it as such.  They would also insist that anybody
who believes in such a notion hasn't experienced much life, is under the
influence of lovely intoxicants, or is engaged in wishful and puerile
thinking.   Such is the lamentable state of our world, what with so many of
us leading lives of quiet misery.      If joy is our natural state, how can
one explain the widespread unhappiness?

Simple the dichotomy of soul and ego

If we think we're our egos, misery is almost inevitable.
If we realize we're our souls, misery,along with the self-hatred about
which we have already written, dissipates.

We are not our egos and therefore are also not our deepest regrets, darkest
thoughts, personal appearance, age, injudicious actions, disagreeable
behaviors, character deficiencies, perceptions of or shameful reactions to
others.

Accessing the soul is surprisingly simple.  It is the aspect of oneself
that observes and reflects on the mind's incessant processes, including
those that cause excruciating emotional pain.   One can summon forth the
soul in a blink.  For instance, imagine that you're ruminating on a certain
situation. You're either experiencing anxiety at the prospect of some
future event or brooding about something that has already occurred.  In an
instant, you can think about these thoughts calmly, as though you're
watching white water rapids from shore.  Although the thoughts might
continue unabated, a small part of you can maintain a serene sense of
detachment.   From that vantagepoint, the thoughts no longer exert a
powerful influence over you.   Instead, they seem more like morbidly
fascinating  exhibits.     It is your soul which is calmly contemplating
the emotions with respectful bemusement.  "Can you believe that person is
making me so upset?"  or "Ha...that happened twenty years ago and I am
still letting it wound me repeatedly." or "No matter what happens in
future, I shall remain fully intact even though emotionally it seems as
though I am facing a catastrophe."

What a profound relief to realize that we are not our thoughts, but are the
observers of our thoughts.

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