The Four Instincts

There is something special about fear and the desire for food, sex and power. These are instincts that are genetically wired into our brains to ensure our survival. Fear, food and sex help the species to survive and prosper, the drive for power allows the individual to get ahead. The problem with these instincts is that they take a life of their own and can turn into monsters.

You can get addicted to all four forces. The state of paranoia takes our natural fears to the extreme and they take over your personality. Obesity is a result of food addiction. Sexual addiction is widespread, while the addiction for power can be observed everywhere in our corporate world, in sports and politics.

I consider myself quite an expert on this subject, as I have to control myself not to get taken over by these forces. Many of my fears have subsided, but I remember a time when fears were a big part of my life. The Power of Now is all about disarming our incessant worries, so it can be done, but it takes practice. I also tended to eat unconsciously, so I can definitely relate to somebody who stuffs his face. When it comes to sex, I find a big disconnect between having sex - which is a beautiful experience and your mind actually shuts down - and having mind sex. The latter takes place for example if you exchange fantasies with others in chat rooms, or if you have sexual fantasies about others. Mind sex I find highly addictive and have to control myself to keep it out of my life. The desire for power I can clearly feel in myself, but is luckily less of an issue for me.