Our Inner World
In here, is a rich, interconnected system composed of the soul,
ego, emotions, senses, and chakras. Each element plays a unique role,
influencing how we experience ourselves and the world. Refer to the
block diagram to the right.
The soul is the core of our being, often described
as pure awareness or consciousness. It’s not something that holds
content like memories or thoughts; instead, it serves as the silent
witness to all our experiences. This presence is timeless, unchanging,
and characterized by stillness, peace, and an innate sense of
intuitive wisdom. It’s the part of us that observes without judgment,
simply aware of whatever arises.
The ego is the constructed identity we develop
over time. It organizes our sense of self through roles, beliefs, and
narratives. The ego defines who we think we are based on past
experiences, achievements, failures, and societal labels. It thrives
on attachments—to identities, outcomes, and possessions—and often
resists change because it fears the loss of control. While the ego
helps us navigate the practical world, it can create a false sense of
separation, leading to judgments and the constant need to defend or
maintain its self-image.
Emotions are dynamic responses that arise from the
interaction of thoughts, bodily sensations, and external events. They
are energy in motion, flowing through us in reaction to life’s
experiences. Basic emotions like joy, sadness, fear, and anger are
universal, while more complex feelings like guilt, pride, or jealousy
are shaped by our thoughts and personal histories. Emotions are not
just mental states—they manifest physically as well, with fear
tightening the chest or love creating warmth in the heart. They carry
an energetic charge that, when allowed to flow freely, helps maintain
psychological and physical balance.
Our senses are the gateways through which we
interact with the external world, but they also influence our inner
life. The five traditional senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, and
smell—constantly feed information to the brain, shaping our
perceptions and emotional responses. Beyond these, we have internal
senses like interoception, which allows us to feel our heartbeat,
breath, or hunger. There’s also a subtle, intuitive sense—sometimes
called the "sixth sense"—which helps us perceive beyond ordinary
sensory input, often linked to gut feelings or instinctive knowing.
The chakras are conceptualized as energy centers
within the body, each governing specific physical, emotional, and
spiritual functions. Starting from the base of the spine and moving
upward, the root chakra is associated with grounding and survival
instincts, while the sacral chakra influences creativity and emotions.
The solar plexus chakra governs personal power and confidence, and the
heart chakra connects us to love and compassion. Higher still, the
throat chakra governs communication, the third eye chakra relates to
intuition and insight, and the crown chakra represents spiritual
connection and a sense of unity with all life. Chakras influence the
flow of energy through the body, and imbalances can manifest as
emotional distress, mental fog, or even physical symptoms.
These aspects of our inner life are deeply interconnected. The soul
observes without attachment, while the ego creates stories about our
experiences. Emotions arise in response to these stories and to
stimuli processed through the senses. Chakras regulate the flow of
energy that underlies both our physical vitality and emotional
well-being. When we are unconscious of these dynamics, the ego tends
to dominate, causing emotional turbulence and a sense of
disconnection. However, through self-awareness and practices like
meditation or mindfulness, we begin to disidentify from the ego’s
narrative. This allows emotions to flow naturally, the mind to settle,
and energy to move freely through the chakras, revealing the peaceful,
expansive presence of the soul that was always there.
Why We are Part of God
Our being—our soul, our essence of consciousness—is not
separate from God but an extension of it. We are like drops in the
vast ocean of divine existence. This means that who we truly are
is not material; our essence is something beyond physical matter
and energy. If consciousness were merely a physical structure, we
would be able to locate it somewhere inside us, yet no such
structure exists. Instead, we might think of ourselves as
something like spiritual software—an awareness that
transcends the physical form we inhabit.
Consciousness itself may be a quantum phenomenon, something
beyond our current understanding.
If we were purely physical objects, we would lack the depth of
human experience—no free will, no intuition, no inner guidance. We
would function like machines, driven only by external programming.
But that’s not what we are. Across spiritual traditions, God is
seen as the source of all life and energy—the foundation from
which everything arises. This divine essence is not separate from
us; it permeates all existence.
Some call it prana, chi, or
the divine presence—a force that sustains and
animates us. It’s not something external that we must obtain but
something already within us, continuously flowing through our
being.
The journey isn’t about acquiring divine energy as if
it were scarce or distant—it’s about aligning with it.
Imagine sunlight shining continuously.
If we close the blinds, the room darkens, but the light
never disappears; we’ve only blocked it. The same is true with
divine energy—it is always present. Practices like gratitude,
compassion, forgiveness, and surrender help us "open the blinds,"
allowing us to experience this presence more clearly. When we let
go of resistance and align with this deeper flow, we rediscover
our connection to something far greater than ourselves.
Samskaras 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.
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, one needs to learn how to let 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.
The Voice Inside Your Head
Most people assume that the voice inside their head is their
own—that it is them speaking. At first glance, this seems
obvious, but when we examine it closely, we begin to see that this
inner voice is not truly who we are. If we simply observe it without
engaging, we realize that it operates independently, often in ways
that are unhelpful, repetitive, and even irritating.
This voice narrates our actions as if we were unaware of them,
chatters endlessly about things that don’t matter, and replays past
conversations we’d rather forget. It creates unwanted mental noise,
including intrusive thoughts and random snippets of music. Even when
we try to direct it toward something useful, it often keeps running
long after its purpose is served. Many of us wish we had an off
switch.
Michael Singer, in The Untethered Soul, compares this
voice to an annoying roommate who never stops talking. Despite its
constant presence, most people mistakenly believe this voice is their
true self. However, through meditation and self-awareness, we can
learn to quiet it and recognize that it is just the mind at work—not
the essence of who we are. Singer calls this voice the mind,
but the deeper truth is that we are not our mind—we are the observer
of life. This observer, which we might call the soul, exists
beyond the mental chatter.
The soul is the silent witness, the presence within that makes
decisions and taps into intuition. Unlike the mind, which is cluttered
with fears, desires, and anxieties, the soul operates with clarity and
wisdom. Centering ourselves in this awareness allows us to step back
from the mind’s constant noise and experience life from a deeper, more
peaceful place. This perspective may feel unfamiliar to some, but for
the two billion Hindus and Buddhists around the world, it is a
fundamental truth.
Much of our inner dialogue stems from emotional blockages, created
by past experiences. These blockages disrupt the natural flow of
energy within us, much like a clogged pipe restricting water. After a
painful breakup, for instance, a person might unconsciously close
their heart, leading to numbness, distrust, or even depression.
A closed heart leads to suffering. In depression, the inner voice
becomes even more destructive, reinforcing confusion, self-doubt, and
misery. This downward spiral can only be broken by understanding our
true nature. When we recognize ourselves as the observer—separate from
the mind’s chatter—we begin to loosen its grip. By releasing old
blockages and reconnecting with our soul, we regain access to inner
peace, clarity, and the freedom to experience life fully.
Optimizing the Inner World
Living a fulfilling life and experiencing lasting happiness isn’t
about chasing pleasure or avoiding discomfort—it’s about understanding
and mastering our inner world. True peace comes from shifting our
awareness beyond the relentless activity of the mind and ego and
connecting with something deeper: the soul. This shift isn’t just
philosophical; it’s practical. Practices like mindfulness, meditation,
and self-inquiry help quiet mental noise, align our emotions, and open
us to the wisdom that already exists within us. When we step out of
reactivity and into presence, life becomes clearer, more balanced, and
deeply meaningful.
Our
inner experience consists of an ongoing flow of thoughts, emotions, and
sensations. Most people mistake this mental activity for the self,
assuming that the voice inside their head is who they are. But this
voice—always narrating, analyzing, and judging—is more of a background
commentator than a true guide. It reacts to everything, creating
unnecessary distractions and emotional turbulence. Singer teaches that
we are not this inner dialogue; we are the awareness that observes it.
This simple but profound realization creates space between us and our
thoughts, allowing us to step back instead of getting pulled into
every mental drama.
When we develop this awareness, we begin to see how our past shapes
our present reactions. Samskaras—act like buried imprints, subtly influencing
how we respond to life. These patterns don’t just disappear; they
surface whenever something triggers them, causing discomfort,
resistance, or emotional pain. If we don’t recognize and release them,
they keep us stuck in cycles of reaction and suffering. The key to
freedom is witnessing these patterns without getting lost in
them. Instead of pushing emotions away or drowning in them, we simply
observe and let them move through us. Over time, this practice
dissolves the old emotional weight, allowing us to experience life
with greater ease and openness.
The voice inside our head operates on different levels. At the
surface, it chatters nonstop—commenting, replaying conversations,
analyzing situations. Beneath that, it reflects our deeper fears,
desires, and anxieties, shaping how we interpret the world. And at its
core, it is influenced by subconscious programming—beliefs formed long
ago about who we are and how life works. These deeply ingrained
patterns shape our inner dialogue, often without us realizing it.
But here’s the breakthrough: none of this mental noise defines who
we are. We are not the voice—we are the one hearing the
voice. We are the silent observer behind all experience. When we stop
identifying with thoughts and emotions, we stop being controlled by
them. Instead of reacting to life, we engage with it from a place of
clarity and inner strength.
It is not just about understanding the mind; it’s about
learning to step beyond it by moving our consciousness into our soul
and away from the talkative mind. The mind is a tool. It is not
the observer. The observer is the soul. The more we observe without attachment,
the more peace and freedom we gain. This is how we break free from old
conditioning and reconnect with our true nature. The path to a
fulfilling life isn’t about fixing the mind—it’s about transcending
it. By doing so, we step into a life that is richer, more expansive,
and filled with a deep, unshakable peace.
