‘I think therefore I am’ was the basis of Descartes’ philosophy. That if you stop thinking you will die. However, this evolved into suggestions by new age thinkers that the awakened
consciousness, doesn’t necessarily require thought to exist.
The theory of conscious awareness, as we all know, came to the west from Buddhist traditions. Preaching the bliss of the present moment. To break free from the never ending dialogue of the mind and give space for peace and calm. To escape... from what?
... The ego ofcourse.
However, I wouldn’t want to undermine the importance of the ego, how it helps form our individuality. What makes you, you. But what about us? The collective thought, the collection of our ancestry, our cultural being. How we came upon this earth to share our meaningful experiences with one another.
As I think about the collective and how this has been stripped from our daily lives, brings about angst. And it consumes...
Huh? But...
Should I buy that jacket?
Consumption, that’s all this is about isn’t it? Why? Why am I so consumed by this chatter? Why am I always injected with what I should consume and how much of it? Wait..
What did I eat today? I should eat that salmon. I read somewhere that it’s good for the brain. I should read that book by Deepak Chopra. What was it called again? The super brain. Yes, I should fulfil my passions and reach my full potential. Compete against my rivals. Survival of the fittest right?
Or am I just afraid? Afraid of finding my own truth? Or accepting the truth of this world.. Maybe it’s not all about me.. why am I so selfish?
