The Voice Inside Your Head
Most people assume that the voice inside their head is their own,
that it is them talking. This seems true if we accept it without
question. However, when we examine the voice carefully, it becomes
clear that it is not truly who we are. If we simply observe this inner
voice without engaging in conversation with it, we notice that it is
far from perfect. In fact, it is often annoying.
It makes unnecessary comments, like narrating our actions as if we
were unaware of them. It chatters endlessly, sometimes aimlessly,
until we consciously direct it to think about something useful. Even
then, it continues, often overstaying its welcome. Many of us wish we
had an on-off switch.
The voice in our head also generates music we don’t want to hear
and replays past conversations we’d rather forget. As Michael Singer
describes in The Untethered Soul, it’s like having an
irritating roommate who never stops talking. Most people assume this
voice is their identity, but through meditation, we can learn to quiet
it unless it serves a purpose. Singer refers to this voice as the
mind, but we are not our mind—we are the observer of life. This
observer is our true self, which we might call the soul.
The soul, our inner observer, makes decisions and relies on
intuition. It is far wiser than the mind and is where we should center
ourselves. This perspective may seem unfamiliar to some, but for the
two billion Hindus and Buddhists in the world, it is a fundamental
truth.
In The Untethered Soul, Singer explores the complexity of
the inner voice, revealing that much of what it says is rooted in
deeper fears, desires, anxieties, or joys. Our emotional system, in an
attempt to protect us, creates blockages called samskaras.
These blockages can restrict energy flow within us, like shutting off
a faucet. For instance, after a painful breakup, our heart may close
itself off to love, leading to emotional numbness or even depression.
A blocked heart often results in suffering. When someone is
depressed, the inner voice can become even more destructive,
reinforcing confusion and misery. This negative cycle can be broken by
understanding our true nature.
Who Am I?
Understanding who we truly are helps break the cycle of suffering.
If asked, "Who am I?" most people will respond with their name. If
pressed further, they may describe their relationships, job, age, or
gender. But these are just circumstances, not the essence of who we
are.
At our core, we are conscious beings. Most fundamentally, we are
observers. We observe both the external world around us and the
internal world of our thoughts and emotions.
By simply watching our inner voice rather than engaging with it, we
can gain insight into its patterns. We do not have to believe
everything it says. Instead of engaging in endless mental dialogue, we
can analyze it, challenge it, and redirect it toward more constructive
thinking.
By stepping back and recognizing ourselves as the observer, we gain
clarity, peace, and control over our inner world.
Our Inner World
One of the best ways to understand our inner world is to divide it
into eight sections:
God (Source): God surrounds us with love,
and keeps us together through the storms of life and comforts us when
we are down or confused. Each person has their own connection with
God, and thus God appears different for different people.
Soul: The seat of consciousness, intellect, and
our very essence of our being. The soul takes actions, knows it knows,
and allows us to be and think about deeply about life, especially the
philosophical and religious side of things. It is the driving force of
mental processes. It can follow the mind, or ignore it.
(Soul/Mind Continuum of Thought): Our inner voice
is generated mostly by our mind. but the more subtle thoughts come
from the soul. If we listen carefully we can hear our soul speak
gently of deeper things. The soul acts on its thoughts, whereas the
mind offer seems only to offer suggestions. But in an emergency the
mind can take over, and make us take protective action.
EGO: Our impression of who we think we are.
Actually we are different people depending on who is around us, and
what is going on. If we sit in our ego, we can easily loose
connections with others.
Mind: That part of us that calculates all the time
usually in a fast but shallow framework. Usually the soul
listens and decides . The mind does not make decisions but the soul
may follow the mind's thoughts. There is a continuum of thought
generation, running from soulful thoughts to the mind's thoughts
produced by the mind. The mind is often like a noisy roommate
that is constantly talking, and usually has no depth in what it is
saying.
Emotions: There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of
different emotions. We can be in a light mood, or feeling dreadful
with overwhelming fear. Little things in the external world can make
us sad, or happy. Part of being mindful is not to over react to the
small things in life. We can be happy most of the time by letting
upsets flow though us, and not let them get sick inside us.
Sensory: We have an array of senses on our bodies
that far exceed the the classic five senses. We feel heat, cold, pain,
where our hands, arms and legs are. We can be tickled, made dizzy and
feel goose bumps on our arms. All these inputs produce the
illusion that we are physical body in a physical world. This may be
true, but the brain generates our sensation of it.
Chakras: .According to ancient teachings of
Buddhist and Hindu traditions there seven energy centers within us,
based on human feelings. These include spiritual, intuitive,
love, power, sex and fear chakras.
World: The physical world as opposed the inner
world.
Optimizing the Inner World
To live a fulfilling life, and to be happy most of the time, there
are several pathways and techniques that can be utilized.
Optimizing the inner world involves cultivating mindfulness,
meditation, and self-awareness, practices that shift our sense of
identity from the mind and ego toward the soul. These practices help
align the chakras, allow emotions to flow harmoniously, and quiet the
mind, creating a space where the soul's wisdom can guide us. This
alignment fosters a life filled with balance, clarity, and deeper
meaning.
Michael A. Singer, in The Untethered Soul, offers a
framework for understanding the inner experience as a continuous flow
of thoughts, emotions, and sensations. He explains that much of what
we perceive as the "self" is the mind's activity—a relentless inner
dialogue that narrates, evaluates, and judges everything we encounter.
This mental chatter often dominates our awareness, creating
distractions and emotional disturbances that pull us away from the
present moment. Singer advocates stepping back from this inner
dialogue, reminding us that we are not the voice we hear but the
conscious awareness observing it.
This awareness allows us to recognize how past experiences shape
our current reactions. Singer identifies these imprints, or samskaras,
as unresolved emotional and mental patterns influencing our
perceptions and responses. When left unresolved, samskaras create
blockages that perpetuate discomfort and resistance. By observing
these patterns and choosing to release them, we free ourselves from
past constraints and align with life's natural flow. This process of
witnessing and releasing is essential to achieving inner freedom,
cultivating peace, and realizing our true essence as the observer of
all experiences.
The inner voice, as Singer describes, operates on multiple levels.
On the surface, it appears as a constant stream of thoughts—a mental
narration reacting to and framing our perceptions. This chatter is
often analytical, judgmental, or reflective, shaping how we interpret
the world. Beneath this lies a deeper emotional layer, where the voice
reflects fears, desires, anxieties, and joys tied to our emotional
states. At its most profound level, the inner voice is influenced by
subconscious patterns and unresolved samskaras, linking past
experiences to present narratives. These deeply ingrained beliefs
about ourselves and our place in the world form the foundation of the
inner voice, subtly shaping its tone and content.
Singer emphasizes that the richness and complexity of this inner
voice do not define who we truly are. Instead, we are the silent
observer, the conscious presence witnessing this mental activity. By
observing the voice without identifying with it, we can transcend its
limitations, finding freedom and peace by aligning with our true
nature. This understanding clarifies the interplay of mind, soul, and
emotions, offering a pathway to harmony and self-awareness.
Samskaras, as described by Michael A. Singer, are
deeply ingrained emotional and mental impressions formed from past
experiences. These impressions are stored within us and influence how
we react to the present. They act like emotional scars or energy
patterns, often triggered by events that resemble the original
experience. For example, if someone experienced rejection in the past,
they might feel a surge of anxiety or fear when faced with a situation
that reminds them of it. Samskaras can block the natural flow of
energy within us, creating emotional resistance and recurring patterns
of discomfort.
According to Singer, samskaras are created when we resist or cling
to life experiences rather than allowing them to pass through us. This
resistance traps energy, leaving it unresolved and stuck within. Over
time, these blockages accumulate, shaping how we perceive and respond
to the world. Singer argues that these blockages prevent us from
experiencing life fully and freely.
To remove these blockages, Singer emphasizes the practice of
letting go. When a samskara is triggered, instead of
resisting the discomfort or suppressing it, we should become aware of
it and allow ourselves to fully experience the energy without
attaching to it. By observing the sensation and remaining open, the
trapped energy can release naturally. This requires a willingness to
let go of the mental and emotional clinging that reinforces the
blockage.
Meditation and mindfulness are powerful tools in this process. They
help us develop the awareness necessary to recognize samskaras and the
discipline to stay present with them without reacting. Over time, as
we consistently let go of these blockages, our energy flows more
freely, and we experience greater clarity, peace, and connection to
our true self. By releasing these patterns, we transcend the
limitations imposed by our past and move closer to living in harmony
with the present moment.
