Life Is a Feedback LoopMost of us assume that our day-to-day emotional and physical ups and downs are a result of things that "happen to us." We believe we are at the effect of random events or influences in the outer world or at the mercy of other people. But what if it's the other way around? What if, by and large, your experience perfectly reflects your inner state -- not in order to punish you, but to guide you? Certainly there are forces in the universe that are much more powerful than the influence of a single individual. In many cases, they are the outer reflection of our collective inner state. For example, the culture or political situation in a region may reflect the collective inner consciousness or subconscious of the people that live there. When a society is attracted to violent media or elects a fascist leader, it is a reflection of its inner fears. The media then sets up a feedback loop which amplifies the situation and gradually infects almost everyone unless they are consciously aware of this process. But on the smaller scale of our personal life's events, be aware that many of the things that crop up for you -- even supposedly random events -- may actually be reflective feedback. Are you suddenly experiencing a string of breakages or accidents? Are you plagued by a variety of ailments and aches and pains? Rather than assume that these events are what's making you angry and frustrated or fearful, consider that it may be your own inner state that is causing these events. I'm not trying to say that every misfortune you experience is "your fault", but rather, that it has appeared as a learning opportunity. So, rather than fight what's happening, consider that it could be released through awareness and inner action. If you're willing to consider this possibility, why not perform an experiment? The next time the going gets rough, take your mind off the external and go within. First, examine what's going on for you. At a deeper level than the external events, why might you actually feel angry or irritated or depressed or vulnerable? Are you unhappy at work? Are you having difficulty with a relationship? Your state may even reflect a habitual pattern that goes back to events or traumas in childhood -- things that you normally don't think about or are aware of, but are always alive under the surface. If you find something that "clicks", you can now try a new strategy to alter your outer reality. You may decide to leave your job or make a promise to yourself to work on your relationship. You may begin to pursue some deep inner work with a therapist or use methods like Emotional Freedom Technique, the Sedona Method, or hypnotherapy to uncover and release wounds that normally lie below the surface. Indeed, for many people, just believing that your physical woes or outer experiences are a reflection of your suppressed inner state can alleviate the problem. That was the message of revolutionary doctor, John Sarno, MD. When your next headache or backache crops up, simply say out loud -- "It's psychological, not physical!" I'm currently writing my third book. Much of it will be focused on self-healing through methods like these. But the deeper message is that there are many levels to our being and that when dysfunction arises, the best solution is to address a problem at its root. Thus, if your backache is actually a reflection of suppressed anger at your spouse, all the pills and back-braces in the world won't eliminate it. You need to address that anger. Similarly, if you are besieged by accidents that reflect inner feelings of insecurity and fear, these events won't stop until that fear is at least acknowledged and hopefully released in a healthy way. I'll leave you with one last tip from visionary American mystic Neville Goddard (1905-1972). According to Goddard, the events of each day reflect the dreams of the subconscious while we sleep. Moreover, these dreams reflect our state of consciousness before we go to sleep. Because of this, he suggests making a special effort before sleep to imagine your ideal goal state of being. When you lie in bed, "pretend", if necessary, that everything is ideal -- your health, your family, your job, etc. This ideal state of being will then permeate your subconscious during sleep, which then will become enacted in your waking life. Why not try it out? "Sleep conceals the creative act, while the objective world reveals it." - Neville Goddard |
