Mind control. Control of the mind. Not controlling someone else’s mind, but our own. Which is arguably harder at times.
The ego wants control. It wants pain, doubt, and self sabotage. It feeds on these things. But the ego must be overcome. And the fight is waged round the clock most days of our lives.
Physicist David Bohm taught that underlying the physical reality we experience in daily life, there is a soup of energy containing all possible outcomes. In his opinion, it is our consciousness that pulls one of the potential outcomes out of the soup and into physical matter. If a tree falls in the woods and nobody is there to hear it, it doesn’t make a sound. In fact, the tree doesn’t actually fall either if no consciousness is there to observe it.
Maybe that’s true, maybe it isn’t. But let’s assume it might be. Then the harmful thoughts of the ego will bring more of the pain and failure it thrives on into our experience. However, if we learn to mold our thoughts and underlying beliefs, then we can pull outcomes from the soup that are positive and beneficial.
I’ve been watching John John Florence compete in professional surf competitions for a few years now. He’s a two-time world champion and arguably the best surfer on the planet. To win surf competitions requires good waves to surf on. I’ve heard the commentators mention many times how John seems able to will big waves out of the ocean. It’s said so often that I’m starting to believe it. And despite his physical talents and experience in the water, his results seem to verify this. He believes and things tend to go his way. Sure, he might just read the ocean better than other surfers, but he has somehow created a pattern out of something that would otherwise seem completely random.
Even if the soup of possibilities isn’t real, and we can’t actually manifest our reality, the ability to control the mind brings good thoughts. Good thoughts are good for health. They’re good for forward motion in life in general. They feel a hell of a lot better than bad thoughts and are a much more enjoyable use of mental energy.
Is it foolish to believe in something that might not happen? To have a potentially false sense of confidence? Will that just bring more pain in the end? No. Because worrying about negative outcomes and constantly preparing the mind for the worst brings more pain than anything else. It raises stress hormones. It keeps people awake at night. it turns hair gray. It’s a waste of mental powers. And while it’s nice when doubt is proven wrong by a desirable outcome, it isn’t anywhere near as amazing as when the positive thoughts of the mind materialize into something beautiful right in front of our eyes.
In no way can it hurt us to think positively and not get the exact outcome we desired. The thoughts will lead us down a path, and the path might take unexpected turns. But it is better to be on an unwavering path towards something desirable than not being on a path, wallowing in doubt and uncertainty. So why not adopt an attitude of “what if” and see what happens?
What if coincidences aren’t coincidences at all? What if the things we can touch and see are nothing more than manifestations of our minds? How can we prove otherwise? We can’t. Everything we experience is a perception. It seems objective, but how do we know for sure that what objectively looks like the color red to me looks the same to you? We’ll never know. My mind registers a keyboard under my fingertips right now, but how can I be sure that isn’t simply an imagined perception? I can’t. I could be touching nothing and my brain could still tell me I’m touching a computer. Because everything we experience is simply the senses feeding the brain, and the brain assuming the senses are accurate and correct so we can go about our daily lives with some sense of stability and continuity.
Can we simply sit back, think about something, and expect it to happen? No. Action still has to be taken, and fortune favors those who act boldly. This isn’t just about magic tricks. Nobody ever got in shape simply from sitting on the couch eating potato chips. On some level it’s about changing the mind to change our actions. The proper thoughts create the proper actions. The wrong thoughts, the thoughts of the ego, result in self sabotage.
Patience. Sometimes thoughts require patience to bloom. The ego will try to make us question our thoughts and derail us. “My thoughts and beliefs aren’t coming true and I’ve been waiting and waiting, so this must not really work”. This is where the hard work comes in and effort is required to keep the mind on track. A person must watch their thoughts constantly, like a boxer watching his opponent in the ring. The ego will go for cheap shots, and we have to be ready to dodge its attempts all of the time.
So how does one control their mind? See the ego driven doubts for what they are. Simply observe them, realize they aren’t real, and laugh at them. Let them pass. Speaking affirmations out loud repeatedly might sound hokey, but over time it can slowly shift the underlying beliefs in the subconscious mind as well. Only do things that lift your energy and avoid everything that brings you down. I advise staying away from social media, overly dramatic movies and music, and mainstream media news. Don’t waste time stroking yourself. Get up and take a step towards being better. If you want to waste time, watch something educational or take a nap. There are constructive ways to unwind. Never see yourself as reacting to outside events and circumstances. See yourself as creating the outside events and circumstances you interact with. And finally, it’s necessary to watch the thoughts and ego constantly like a sniper waiting for the enemy. Vigilance is required, and it gets easier with practice. Snuff out any destructive thoughts the instant they surface and replace them with thoughts of strength. It’s a choice, so choose wisely.
I’ve been putting this approach to the power of the mind into practice in my life and noticing some incredible results and synchronicity. If you’ve also had success with this approach, it would be great to hear about so please share in the comments.