Atheist Meditation Atheist Spirituality by Mark W Gura

Author:Mark W Gura [Gura, Mark W]
Language: ara
Format: epub
Tags: mindfulness meditation, atheism, secular, spirituality, atheist mediation, secular Buddhism
Publisher: InnerAction Press LLC
Published: 2015-07-13T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter Definitions

Hypnosis A state of altered consciousness or trance.

Meditation Self-guided trance state; access to the unconscious mind for the purpose of changing or accessing unconscious mental processing.

Prayer A form of religious meditation, a trance state and form or self-hypnosis, externally or self-induced; the practice of communication with a perceived God, gods or other supernatural forces.

Chapter 7

The Unconscious Mind

“People have a terrific loyalty to their brand of cigarettes and yet in tests cannot tell it from other brands. They are smoking an image, completely.”

—Research Director, New York Advertising Agency, on how unconscious impulses affect our everyday lives

The mind allows us to understand, navigate through and experience reality. It is composed of conscious and unconscious processes that facilitate all the functions of our lives. Asked to describe it, we typically think of the unconscious as a realm of instincts, like our instinct to move toward what feels pleasant and away from what feels unpleasant. But our unconscious mind is so much more than this. For most, it is the seat of the conscience, of deep emotions, fantasies, drives and automatic functions that cause events to occur within our lives, underneath our awareness, like a subliminal robotic servant with sonar. The unconscious mind has a much greater influence on our actions and thoughts than many people think.

Some might disagree and say they are fully in charge of their unconscious mind, their instincts and drives and that they don’t need meditation. They know how to inspire themselves with common, everyday actions. Yet we have received plenty of examples to the contrary. People very rarely seem to understand their drives and motivations and what occurs within the mind.

Picture what might be the start of a typical day. You wake up in the morning feeling good, inspired by the faded memories of pleasant dreams, not exactly sure why you feel good. Then again, the opposite might be the case and you wake up feeling bad. You get out of bed, wash, get dressed and have breakfast, but this all happens automatically, in a daze, as a routine without much conscious effort, inspired by unconscious processes. Are you sure you are fully aware of what happens in your unconscious at all times?

If someone asks you to recall and describe your actions during each moment, you might find this difficult. Your conscious awareness has been drifting in and out throughout the morning. Or imagine the common aches and pains and disappointments you feel when things are not going according to your wishes. Who is it that sets your mood then? Do the aches and pains set the mood or the higher mind?

The Color Research Institute conducted an experiment, inviting a group of women to attend a lecture. They actually sought to observe their behavior while waiting. They gave them the option of using either of two waiting areas.

One was a functional modern chamber with gentle tones. It had been carefully designed for eye ease and to promote a relaxed feeling. The other room was a traditional room filled with period furniture, oriental rugs and expensive-looking wallpaper.

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