Becoming Conscious
In today’s society, mental wellness has become increasingly important. With this shift, meditation practices such as mindfulness exercises are becoming the norm. People engage in these activities with the intention of awakening from an unconscious state of programmed thoughts and behaviors to an ideal state of consciousness. Becoming conscious allows people to experience less anger, stress, and tension. They also enjoy more peace, happiness, and enjoyment. Intrigued by these benefits, I looked for resources that would help me improve my mental wellbeing and arrive at a more awakened state. In Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, I learned that refraining from labeling things as good or bad, separating myself from my emotions, and incorporating mindfulness practices into everyday activities can help me become conscious.
Throughout my life, I have been taught that certain things are good while others are bad. Furthermore, I have developed programmed responses to both labels. For example, I have experienced the annoyance of traffic as I rush to get to my first class of the day. Traffic is on my list of bad things, so I respond accordingly: I get frustrated, let out a huff to express my discontent, and ruminate on the idea that traffic is absolutely bad. To make matters worse, I refuse to accept my circumstance, and my resistance to the traffic makes me feel even more angry and stressed. According to Tolle, these negative emotions do not come from the traffic, but from my perception of the traffic as unfavorable. I do not intentionally choose to respond that way; instead, I am asleep to my automatic thoughts and behaviors. In Tolle’s words – I am unconscious. To come out of this state, Tolle advises not labeling things as good or bad and to fully accept what is happening in each present moment (in my case – the traffic). By not applying any labels to my present situation and freely allowing it to occur, I gain awareness and peace.
Another way I can become unconscious is when I allow my thoughts and emotions to take control of me. For example, I often feel stress and tense when I go through my syllabi at the beginning of the semester. Feelings of intimidation, doubt, and anxiety fill my mind as I review the required readings, papers, and exams that I will need to complete during the semester. My heart pounds like a jackhammer, my head spins like a washing machine, and my body sweats like a long-distance runner. I become so overwhelmed that I induce headaches and backaches. To minimize these consequences, Tolle instructs us to be alert at the onset of a negative emotion. Now, as soon as I receive a syllabus and start feeling stressed I take a moment to observe what I am experiencing. I recognize that I am stressed, but I do not allow it to consume me. In other words, I become aware that I am not my emotions and that what I am feeling does not define who I am. Just by becoming aware of my negative thoughts, those unwanted feelings naturally subside and my aches and pains start to dissipate.
Reaching a level of awareness takes much practice, but according to Tolle, awareness becomes easier if you apply it to everyday mundane behaviors. When I eat meals between studying, I now try to be mindful. I turn off my computer screen, close my books, and remind myself that multi-tasking depletes the energy needed to be fully conscious in the present. I focus on every component of the eating experience: I recognize the varying shades of green of each romaine leaf, the crunchy texture of croutons, the aroma of the recently heated chicken breast, and the salty and potent taste of the Caesar dressing. Whenever I catch my mind wandering off to thinking about how I will resume my studies, I bring myself back to awareness by concentrating on my lunch. By applying the same consciousness to drinking tea, walking to the mailbox, and brushing my teeth, I have found more enjoyment and happiness in these daily activities.
As thinking beings, we tend to bring unnecessary stress into our lives. We fall asleep as we allow labels to govern how we feel, permit negative emotions to take over our entire being, and deprive ourselves of the many opportunities to live a more peaceful life – one that can be attained by becoming conscious. Tolle’s principles and methods have opened my eyes to the many possibilities that awareness brings.
Reference
Tolle, E. (2005). A new earth: Awakening to your life’s purpose. Viking.
Jerlyn Malasig has been a member of the Interactive Measurement Group since the fall of 2020. In the lab, she has assumed leadership roles such as website coordinator, action editor, and meeting chair. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and another in psychology — and is currently working towards her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Jerlyn’s ultimate goal is to become a counseling psychologist.