Retaining natural happiness can seem unattainable at first, particularly when unhappiness can leave us feeling helpless to do anything other than endure. But, with a commitment to dealing with this ongoing debilitating state once and for all, our life can change dramatically for the good.
Despite material and societal success, there can remain an ocean of emptiness and constant discontentment — a distinct absence of free-flowing love, optimism and fulfilment over which we seem to have no control. It feels like being stuck in a downward depressive spiral with only fleeting momentary happiness. The temptation to mood altering products such as alcohol and nicotine become real. Confused and bewildered by not knowing what to do, our life seems governed by this unrelenting cycle, this compulsive behavioral pattern of indecision and self-doubt. Moods of depression, fueled by ongoing stress and fatigue remain a constant dynamic which can place natural alleviation beyond our perceived practical reach.
Deep down we yearn for natural recurring happiness to replace this prison-like mood-swing state of mind and come upon that ever-present flow of contentment and well-being.
Even though, from a materialistic point, there isn’t a single thing that would change our mind-state to natural happiness. Yet, for some reason, we seem stuck in a ‘searching for that elusive happiness’ groove — the ‘carrot and stick’ mentality which seems to maintain the status quo unabatedly. We say: one day I’ll find that missing jigsaw piece, that magical over the rainbow state of mind, then, all will be well.
At first, in our anxiety-driven struggle to be free of this fatiguing, stress-filled life pattern, our thinking becomes irrational and clouded. We rush to conclusions, like, maybe it’s down to this reason or that condition, consequently, in our attempt to deflect from self-responsibility, “blaming” and procrastinating become easy choices.
Thus, in our struggle to be free of deep-seeded unhappiness, we become exteriorly focused on chemically based products and unnatural lifestyles for solutions, but, which invariably help only to maintain, and even worsen the situation.
So, what’s the suggested solution of dispersing this unrelenting mood-cloud which overshadows our inner sunshine and blights our personal well-being? What’s this scourge which sabotages our flow of unconditional love, ebullient self-expression and fun-partaking in life — how do we rid of it permanently?
To grasp answers to these pivotal questions, some basic understanding of how our deeper mind operates is desirable – nothing complicated — just simple insights on how our everyday mental dynamic functions.
In a nutshell, there is a level of mind known as sub-consciousness – a level of imposed conditioning by parents, society, schooling, peers, religion and nation; a collection of mental imprints which go to frame our self-image, beliefs systems, perceived abilities and self-value. These automatically recurring though-feeds to the conscious mind are primarily generational; a programmed inheritance which, should we remain in ignorance of, increases as we go through life. Being subconscious — outside of conscious awareness — these embedded thought patterns remain silently active in deeper consciousness — acted out in our daily life automatically – until, of course, we consciously interrupt the cycle, the loop-feed to the conscious mind.
This sub-consciousness is not a separate mind rather a submerged aspect of full our mind — the storage chip which contains every nuance of learned behavior. Housing all our convictions, phobias, fears and addictions, this subconscious content exists in a perfectly mastered CD-like state.
Known also as subconscious reactive thought patterns, this suppressed conditioning depends on mental tension, physical stress, life-fears, low self-esteem but, most important of all, ignorance of its existence, for its survival. In other words, mental stress / physical tension are prerequisite energy dynamics for prolonging this involuntary influencing of our conscious mind, resulting possibly in unnatural or addiction-driven lifestyles which ultimately can lead to further unhappiness and even depression. In other words, through non awareness of the subconscious content and its live activity, we’re unwittingly blocking our own sunshine, strangling our own bliss at source.
To get rid of these subconscious thought patterns — “blind” life-directions — our first port of call, even responsibility is to recognize our self-ignorance in this regard: that such life-influencing activity is happening subconsciously without our conscious consent, but, that, intellectual awareness alone isn’t sufficient for its eradication.
Having experienced first-hand and undertaken the same suggested remedy, I can say with certainty that, success on this journey of deeper mind alignment with natural happiness is not at all difficult. In fact, it simply requires commitment to the practice outlined below thereby consciously activating the experience of the innately present happiness into our heart and mind, which, in turn, fosters a healthier body by way of a regulated lifestyle through our newly-gained spiritual awareness.
It’s estimated we use only about 1/5th of our total mind. Thus, to reclaim the submerged 4/5th aspect, it’s necessary to neutralize the automatically recurring subconscious thought patterns thereby allow the body’s inner mechanisms produce and assimilate optimum health and natural well-being into consciousness – as in mind so in body.
While positive thinking is superior to negative thinking, this approach of itself will not deliver tangible, lasting happiness — will not dissolve life-times of mental / physical stress and cumulative conditioning.
For a natural, once and forever solution to this metaphysical, sub-conscious dilemma, what’s needed is a transformation of consciousness whereby our Ark — the mind – is raised to divine or natural happiness status.
For this transformational process to be affected into consciousness an integrator technique, which will de-potentialize the accumulations of non-life-serving mindsets, is required — a technique of dissolving habitual physical / mental stress. This simple, yet powerfully effective technique, when practiced daily, brings about integration of the “faulty” programming which has contaminated our higher nature happiness; in other words, life experiencing can be through a collection of devitalized thoughts or, subconsciously driven negative programming.
While there are many forms of relaxation techniques available, the formula I personally used – and still do — is mantra meditation.
Chapter 14 of my book “Transforming Your Life – How to Be All That You Can Be”, has a technique titled “Theta Mantra Meditation –the Practice Technique”. This section contains clear instruction on how to practice the technique, thereby, through regular practice, enables us to become proficient at experiencing bliss consciousness as a permanent state of mind.
Infusion of bliss into the conscious mind through meditation, is key, the practice enlarges the mind’s conscious capacity to experience greater all-round natural happiness. Known as direct perception, soon our life-experiencing will be through the prism of uplifted consciousness, creative well-being and enlightened understanding.
Raymond,
Thanks for this short peace on explaining the pattern of unhappiness and one method of correcting it through mantra meditation. An important subject that we all need to be mindful about. I have yet to try mantra meditation as Zen style has always been my favorite. I believe this is because my focus has been more the nature of reality instead of correcting patterns of unhappiness, but both styles have the same effect from what I have read. Do you strictly stick with mantra meditation or do you also prefer other techniques?
Hi Josh,
Thanks for this interesting comment. Before the practice of any meditation, when our lives are going through a degree of suffering or mental torture, whatever practice relieved the problem tends to be considered worthy of its continuance. Hence, after a degree of “deliverance” a capacity of consciousness forms whereby a basis to understand the language of inner reality comes about — revelation becomes a joyful daily event on many levels of our sensory / physical awareness and also at our own level of understanding.
It’s not so much that we try correcting patterns of unhappiness, rather the mind / physiology become attuned cosmically, so to speak, to natural happiness –but that, unhappiness was the catalyst. When the brain becomes acclimatized to any meditation, the pattern of happiness begins establishing. Thus reality is perceived through understanding sourced through regular transcendence or Zen-like state within.
Regular vibrational meditation facilitates the brain becoming “set-up” to experience a level of consciousness unknown to it before — the transcendental state. Previous to this the brain knew only waking, dreaming and deep sleep states. Now, through altered state meditation, it can enjoy Eternality simultaneously with the other three states, consciously. For this reason, Josh, I stay with the TM mantra meditation and the TM Sidhi or yogic flying programme, which I was trained in.
But I do believe other meditation techniques can be equally successful, such as Zen, for, once the brain’s neural pathways have become established in transcendental consciousness, in meditation consciousness, almost any technique, I feel, will trigger vibrational bliss into flow. This is why pineal / pituitary gland activation is vital, and why Scripture dwells on this point, as in, Jesus’ “Transfiguration” on the Mount — transcendence in meditation.
Blessings,
Raymond
Hi Raymond,
I really enjoyed your article. I feel like I’m getting an education in the spiritual sciences whenever I read your articles. It makes me realise that Christianity is not simply a static completed religion founded 2,000 years ago, sealed in a book for us to follow in traditionalism. The seeds for our development and evolution are inside us and it’s up to us to increase our spiritual conscious awareness and even the bible says it.
It’s a shame though that Christianity (as opposed to Christ’s teachings) has lost touch. Vital elements such as meditation really are needed to restore wholeness within.
Can I ask a dumb question: What is the difference between the sub-conscious and the unconscious? I’ve never truly understood the difference between the two?
Cheers,
Claudine
Hi Claudine,
Thank you for your always insightful comments here on SoS.
I can assure you, Claudine, that the question you raise, “what is the difference between the sub-conscious and the unconscious”?, far from being “dumb” is indeed sourced out of great spiritual awareness on your part.
If I may attempt answering:
First, there is the subconscious mind, often referred to as the anatomic nervous system which regulates vital body functioning. Then, there is the Unconscious Mind, or, the Higher-Self which operates outside of relativity and time, also biblically referred to as inner Christ or awakening soul. Then there is this man/woman-created level of conditioning known as the sub conscious — a level of lower consciousness functioning through spiritual ignorance.
Most American spiritual writers, when referring to the Unconscious, refer to it as the Subconscious Mind when in fact they’re intending to mean the Unconscious or Soul – they capitalize the “S” denoting this Higher Nature referencing. Over the years these two referencing terms have been greatly misrepresented and misunderstood causing much confusion in some countries.
When I use the term sub conscious or subconsciousness, I’m referring to the suppressed non life-supporting CONTENT WITHIN the mind, heart or soul – I’m referring to the beans in the can, not the Can.
The Unconscious is Soul consciousness awaiting conscious contact, the realm of which, while transcendental, is always present and available to engage through heightened present moment awareness gained through most mind-centring techniques. Hence, regular meditational practice transforms / integrates human consciousness –embedded lower-self or sub conscious content –into a purity level which is not perceived through egoism or conditioning.
Ideally, we should each be living through permanent Unconscious Awareness, a state of unconditional love, or Cosmic Consciousness, which represents the Will of God, rather than reacting from stored sub conscious content.
Hope this helps, Claudine,
Blessings,
Raymond
Hi Raymond,
Thank you for your patience. I’m sort of getting it (I think!) but, I wouldn’t say “exactly” just yet but, I’m getting there!
So from your explanation, the unconscious is a part of our personality or being of which we’re not directly aware of until we make conscious contact with? Something like the invisible current of the ocean? It’s there deep within breaking the waves and continuously moving the body of water above whether we realise it or not.
The unconscious (the “can”) is neutral but, our subconscious content (the “beans in the can”) can be either positively or negatively charged depending on the attitude we have towards it? It means the unconscious is potentially both beautiful and terrible depending on our own limitations. It’s always there awaiting conscious contact from us but, it will reflect back to us whatever our thoughts and attitudes are?
Which explains why meditation and working towards a healthy subconscious is so important because the unconscious reacts depending on the nature of the person?! So if our ego is off balance, our unconscious thoughts and all the stuff we repress and fear can manifest externally into ugly qualities like arrogance, compulsions, obsessions, phobias and rigid controlling etc. In contrast however, if our ego is healthily maintained by developing a Christ consciousness and qualities centred on love and trusting Gods will, the unconscious becomes our highest source of good and the creative divine can flow and shine through us?
A balanced ego is vital then isn’t it and why meditation and prayer are so important – Psalms 1:1-3 “… and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper”.
Sincerely,
Claudine
Hi Claudine,
Wow, thank you for these great insights. You’ve answered so much that all I can do now is ad further understanding to this subject of the Unconscious and the Christ-within.
Please bear with me for this extended comment.
If we’re familiar only to religious or exoteric interpretation of Christ and Jesus and other wonderful biblical titles, it can at first be a struggle opening our minds / hearts to Reality phraseology. Like, when we say Christ is within the question (remaining in the abstract realm) arises subconsciously “within what and where”? which, of course, means WITHIN RAISED consciousness. In other words, the status of Christhood needs to be brought from the Unmanfest or, Unconscious transcendental level to the conscious level of mind. Or, we could say, “Heaven” is already present [in soul] unconsciously, but the inner space for such Glory needs to be created consciously in mind. The soul’s Higher or Unconscious Nature being uncreated – always was, always will be – requires conscious contact on our part through our chosen meditation practice.
Thus Christ, the soul’s Higher Nature – the Unconscious –is formed or made experiential within consciousness, hence, Christ-consciousness. Due to our ongoing mind-silence development, the eternal Christ Nature becomes Risen / Raised experientially in consciousness.
Let’s look at the following two simple scriptures for their practical implications in this regard.
“She [soul] wrapped Him (Unconscious Christ nature) in swaddling clothes…” in subconscious conditioning or non life-serving generational mind-sets: Luke 2:7. And,
“The prince of the world calleth and findeth nothing in me” – meaning, the Christ or Self-realized soul would have no dynamic for housing any controlling or illusory mind-sets, thus leading to our [already present] Unconscious becoming Conscious — Unconscious Nature becoming conscious “within consciousness” AS our own indwelling Christ Saviour.
So, it’s the establishing in mind of Unconscious Christ Nature within which heals, integrates and saves us from the controlling lower ego mind-sets. This ignorance or sub conscious aspect is also referred to as original sin which the Bible alludes to, albeit in symbolized format.
Once, through conscious choice, we’ve awoken spiritually to some degree, we need then to move on from that base-camp level (from biblical “natural man/woman, to spiritual realization”) of outer directional dependency to inner reliance — becoming our own “Christ within” realization. Thus, through our newly gained Soul Wisdom and its outward expression of faith in action, we demonstrate ourselves ready to move to Summit Awareness, Truth – that [eternal State] which never changes [within]. In other words, through regular convergence of intellect in meditation to onepointedness, we become AS the Risen (in consciousness) Christ – our indwelling Saviour is truly Risen to You.
The Good Lord in His wisdom placed His nature transcendentally so that we could never really lose it, but that to gain such eternal Joy we would have to desire and commit to leaving behind lower ego and enter through the narrow gate of converged thought or focussed non-thinking awareness as separate from scattered illusory-driven lower ego. It’s this persistent present moment Presence which ego can’t ever survive – thus present moment Presence crucifies the sub conscious content dynamic, the “loop feed” of spiritual ignorance.
When the conscious mind has experienced sufficient transcendental silence thus the mind becomes spiritually established, knows expanded present moment awareness and isn’t outer dependent on anything or anyone for divine fulfilment. For, in consciousness, we’ve arrived at Source, Wisdom, Home, thus saved from the clutches of further self-inflicting suffering – the reverberations of suppressed or sub conscious non life-serving content.
Therefore, refusing to heed life’s signs [suffering] of our need to grow spiritually [in love consciousness], means we’ve chosen to remain in the sub conscious hellish realm of lower life. Thus, in simple terms, it’s the subconscious content (the veil) that keeps us separated from our own indwelling Unconscious Christ [the] Saviour.
I would suggest getting a copy of my book: “Transforming your Life –How to Be All That You Can Be”, as it covers this general subject quite comprehensively. Links in the main article above.
Thanks for hanging in, Claudine,
Blessings,
Raymond