Consciousness

You are the one who hears the voice in your head, Michael Singer says in 'The Untethered Soul'. Wow, what a concept!  Take your body for example, please run a little experiment and have a look at your body right now. Step in front of a large mirror if you have one. Have a look at your hair, your face, your entire body and listen to what the voice in your head says. Is the voice expressing any criticism anywhere? Perhaps too little hair on the head or too much hair elsewhere, too much fat in some areas or too little in others, perhaps something is wrong with your face? Just listen to the voice in your head and perhaps you are able to step outside of yourself at this moment and listen to the opinion of an important person in your life, but not really you. If you manage to do that than at this precious moment you have met 'I Am'.

You might say what happens if you love everything you see. Not much, I would think, how would you be able to observe that something is wrong with the picture when everything is as should be? Normally, when we observe that something is wrong we take action to get back to the harmonious state: we start a diet, we hit the gym, we live and eat better, we sign up for plastic surgery. Who is the authority who takes charge and does something to change the picture. It is the same institution as the voice in the head, isn't it? So it appears the 'I Am' can only appear if either the mind is still, or if somehow you manage to step outside of yourself and observe the 'I' complaining or taking charge.

I hope you observe as well that when you hear the voice that response to the voice of criticism and says "I must not be so vain,I need to accept myself as I am, or I should not consider plastic surgery,  you are still dealing with the same voice in your head which takes issue with the first voice in the head. No, the consciousness 'I Am' just perceives the voice and the plan of action, but otherwise there is stillness.

Who Am I?

You are the one who hears your mind talking. An amazing insight, provided by M. Singer in "The Untethered Soul". I got really excited when I reflected on this point. But reality soon set in afterwards. I see an attractive woman and sexual thoughts come to my mind. Clearly, the one who hears the mind talking then enjoys these fantasies. I see my successful colleagues and become jealous. I could go on with this, you probably could too. It appears that the one who hears yourself talking is you, with the self in front and the True Self somewhere hidden inside. At each point in time, the "you" is the intersection of these two selves.

I think it is in your power to bring the True Self in the fore consciously. When I walk or sit erect, breathe in and out through my nostrils and feel an energy wave moving up and down my spine, this is the time when my True Self seems to be in the fore. At this point everything is just Zen. Sexual thoughts just don't come; I wouldn't then even know what jealousy is; all these thoughts, emotions and feelings are just gone. Perhaps this state is something like a time-out phase. Only then I can fathom the true meaning of the insight "You are the one who hears your mind talking"; this time "You" actually deserves a capital Y. I would recommend this strategy to anyone, when you feel your ego is taking over, go into the time-out mode. You don't need to meditate to achieve this state. I can achieve it standing, walking even talking. Once the energy wave moves up and down your spine you are connected to your Source.