The majority of people identify so closely with their thinking and emotions that thinking and emotion and the self appear to be one. This is actually an illusion however. The self is not thinking and emotion and this can be validated by the fact that the self can observe thinking and emotion.
The self can, figuratively speaking, step away from thinking and emotion and watch them. This indicates absolutely that there is a separation between the self and the thinking and emotion that come up within the self.
This separation is extremely important. But why?
Thought and emotion are the causes of emotional suffering. More specifically it is thought that causes suffering as thought is what causes emotion (emotions are responses to thinking). By identifying wholly with thinking and emotion one takes on their energy vibration — if thinking or emotion are up then you go up, if they are down then you go down, and the roller coaster goes on and on — and also, authentic identity gets blocked.
What is authentic identity? It can be called pure consciousness and also an extension of God. It brings, as the Bible states, The peace that surpasses all understanding. This authentic identity is always in place, but it gets blocked by thinking.
When one is identified with thought and emotion it is the energy vibration of thought and emotion that is experienced, rather than the energy vibration of authentic identity.
All of this reinforces how critical it is to maintain separation — separation from thinking and emotion. The more one keeps this separation, the less impact thought and emotion have. In fact thought and emotion decrease as separation is maintained, eventually becoming less and less.
And when thinking is not there authentic identity shines through. With authentic identity comes not only peace — an extremely valuable outcome in its on right — but also limitless possibilities. It is from these possibilities that the life experience can change in infinite ways, and change quickly.
Separation is key.
How does one have separation? Through awareness. Try not to go into unconscious states where you merge into your thoughts or emotions. This does happen, sometimes often, but come into awareness as much as possible. Step away from the thinking and the emotion and watch them. Don’t try to repress them — this will lead to them becoming entrenched and, ultimately, to you suffering.
Allow thinking and emotion to be exactly as they are. Your job is to observe them, hear them, from the space of separation. When you do this the light of your consciousness, your authentic being, shines so brightly that thinking and emotion burn up, so to speak.
And then you’re free.
Will the burnt thinking and emotion be replaced by more thinking and emotion? Most certainly, at least initially. But the more frequently the light of your consciousness shines, the quicker and more fully thinking and emotions will be incinerated. In time you become more and more free from thinking and emotion.
What is left then is the real you.
