“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.”
Philip K. Dick, I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon
Becoming Free of Stories:
We discussed on the thinking/emotional brain page how thoughts can take a tremendous toll on your available energy and interfere with the process of emotional digestion. Today I want to delve deeper into that topic.
Overview of this page:
- Get a better grasp on what is meant when I say “stories” and how it applies to your thought life
- Get a better feel for how your thought life might be running your life
- Practice de-storying something for yourself and see in real time the benefits it provides
What Is A Story?
Words are symbolic, they attempt to reference a particular experience. When I say the word “thought” I am referring to that experience you have when words (or sometimes images) seem to arise in consciousness and you are the only one that seems to be able to hear them. This may seem silly but it builds into a valuable lesson so bear with me.
The word “story” references the same experience as the word “thought” however, I find it beneficial to use the word “story” because it attempts to highlight a particular way in which “thoughts” are experienced.
What is a thought really?
This may seem like a ridiculous question but I want you to consider it anyway.
Without using the word “thought” I want you to consider how you might describe the thing that arises in consciousness that is made up of words (or images) that you recognize.
Pause reading for a moment. This is a serious request. Take a deep breath, relax…if you were carrying on a conversation with a living creature who spoke and understood English yet had no idea what the word “thought” or “thinking” meant and you were trying to describe the experience to them how might you do so?
A thought is a pointer towards a particular experience. Whether it be in the form of words or images it refers to/points towards some aspect of the human experience.
Some words reference real things like the word “table” points towards the thing my computer is resting on.
Some words reference aspects of human experience such as the word “tired” points towards the experience I had this morning prior to my morning cup of coffee.
what do thoughts point towards?
Thoughts point towards experience right? An experience you have had or might have in the future.
Thoughts are stories about your experiences. The Mind is telling stories. It’s a storyteller.
Up Next: Why We Call Them Stories