| Once we observe our inner senses, and attain this | | | | I invite you to try this experiment yourself. The next |
| perspective, we see the world and ourselves very | | | | time your consciousness is arrested by a strong |
| differently. Addictions to substances, relationships, or | | | | desire, particularly one you're unlikely to fulfill, take a |
| thought patterns vanish, as we reidentify ourselves | | | | moment to turn your attention inward. Notice the |
| correctly, not as our mind, with all its erratic and | | | | exact nature of the feeling. Notice how your thought |
| inconsistent thoughts, but as our essence, our self, | | | | process wants to draw you back into the same set |
| our soul, our pure consciousness. | | | | of questions and judgments it has always repeated |
| There's a fairly recent story from my life that I've | | | | every time you've been in the same situation. Notice, |
| come to call the "Angela's butt story." It's a | | | | as you try to quiet your mind, how strongly it's pulled |
| controversial tale, and its main character still doesn't | | | | back to the object of your desire and to thoughts |
| understand the remarkable significance of the | | | | like "Why can't I have that? What's wrong with me? |
| experience as it applies to my life and attitudes. | | | | It's not fair. Boy, I really want that ..." |
| As a typically shallow person of my gender, I | | | | Keep your attention upon the inner sensations. |
| happened to take notice of a certain physical | | | | Forget, as best you can, the trigger, the object of |
| attribute of this female friend. It started innocently | | | | your desire and obsession, and become aware of |
| and unintentionally as I glimpsed her bending over my | | | | what's going on inside of you. Here is what you'll |
| colleague's desk while they spoke. At the time, she | | | | notice. |
| was wearing a pair of burgundy velvet pants that fit | | | | As you quiet your mind and study your sensations, |
| like a glove. Inadvertently, I found myself obsessing | | | | you'll feel pain. Somewhere within you will be an ache, |
| about her anatomical perfection in that particular | | | | a sharpness, something. As you continue to allow |
| region. From there my mind began to wander into | | | | your attention to focus on the sensation, it will begin |
| areas better left unexplored, and this friend became | | | | to change. It will shift, perhaps, to another part of |
| an object of my lustful fantasies. | | | | your body. Or it will spread out. Or maybe it will start |
| As a student of consciousness, it's my commitment | | | | to throb or tingle. Your mind will likely perceive this as |
| to witness all thoughts and feelings that command | | | | a sign of danger and will try to draw you out of your |
| my attention and to become aware when my mind is | | | | body and back into the inquiry. But fight that urge. |
| trapped by a particular thought loop. This obsession | | | | Stay with the feelings. They won't harm you, and, if |
| with Angela's derrière required some exploration | | | | you wait long enough, they will disappear. |
| on my part. | | | | This process of studying our sensation is how we |
| I decided to dedicate the better half of a road trip | | | | overcome addictions. We weather the storm, but it's |
| alone not to replaying the desired imagery but to | | | | not just that. We also bring awareness and |
| noticing the thoughts and feelings of lust the imagery | | | | equanimity to the process. That feeling which used to |
| had evoked. | | | | own us and direct our thoughts is now just a |
| As I sat quietly, calming my mind and directing my | | | | harmless, passing set of sensations. We experience |
| attention inward, I found that my body hurt. There | | | | freedom from our addictions, and we find that feeling |
| was tightness in my chest, heaviness in my throat, | | | | of freedom is far superior to any imagined happiness |
| and an ache in my belly. My thoughts revolved | | | | that we might experience as a result of getting the |
| around the degree to which I wanted something I | | | | object of our desire. |
| couldn't have. Then my thoughts spun off, reminding | | | | My sense of incompleteness, and the square yard of |
| me of all my feelings of inadequacy as result of "not | | | | flesh that caused it were part of a complex program, |
| getting the girl." | | | | a belief structure, which I unwittingly imbibed as a |
| Further reflection brought to light the recognition that | | | | child or adolescent, kept in place by my subservience |
| this was the set of thoughts and feelings that I'd | | | | to my own feelings. In essence, it was hypnotized |
| experienced all my life from focusing on the physical | | | | into me, either by others or by myself. As long as I |
| desirability of women. Yet, I continued to seek out | | | | allowed the script to keep playing, I would remain |
| this experience. Why? | | | | forever hypnotized. Every time I would feel the |
| Could it be that I was suffering under the effect of | | | | feelings, I'd think the thoughts which would |
| an addiction? Could it be that part of the quality of | | | | perpetuate the feelings which would enhance the |
| addiction is its power to create a sense of | | | | thoughts, etcetera, etcetera ... By choosing |
| incompleteness, and then propose a solution, the | | | | observation of my inner senses and allowing any |
| completion of which might make us feel satisfied? | | | | waves to pass without reaction, I unhypnotized |
| I've shared this realization with many people, and I've | | | | myself, and I gained a measure of freedom. |
| invited them to notice what their longings really feel | | | | Once we've begun to use these tools, and to attain |
| like. Inevitably, everyone tells me that they discover | | | | this perspective, we see the world and ourselves |
| the same thing. Whether they're longing for love, | | | | very differently. Addictions to substances, |
| sex, a relationship, or a new pair of Banana Republic | | | | relationships, or thought patterns vanish, as we |
| jeans, they all find that the focus on that thing has | | | | reidentify ourselves correctly, not as our mind, with |
| an addictive, obsessive, painful quality ... yet they | | | | all its erratic and inconsistent thoughts, but as our |
| can't seem to stop thinking about it. | | | | essence, our self, our soul, our pure consciousness. |