Alvarez 1
Alvarez, Adrian
English 101 3:30pm Class
Dr. Grant
November 25, 2009
From Existing to Living
How does one know if one is living or merely just existing in this world? While on the path to liberation from the ego, one must break free from the ego’s strings of ignorance, addictions, and cowardice in order to regain control and kick the ego out of the self proclaimed authority figure as puppet master. As long as the ego remains puppet master, one’s reality is greatly distorted and reduced to a myriad of negative emotional limitations that keep an individual from reaching joy and bliss while living in this glorious world. Being under the control of the ego is what Nick Nolte’s character Socrates in the 2006 film The Peaceful Warrior is referencing when he states that “[one] can live a whole lifetime without ever being awake.” The ego keeps individuals unconscious, unaware, and enslaved while their egos work overtime to ensure that they remain enslaved to the puppet master.
Ignorance is defined as “lack of knowledge” (Dictionary.com). Therefore, ignorance is the main string from which the ego is able to subtly control an individual. One is unaware of the manipulation due to the fact that many individuals are accustomed to listening to the voice in their head. This voice takes root in the mind when one is a child and, thus, grows as the individual grows. Don Miguel Ruiz in his book The Voice of Knowledge explains that “when [one] is born, [one] [does not] have that voice. Thinking comes after [one] learn[s] - first the language, then different points of view, then all the judgments and lies” (Ruiz 13). This is evident in that when one observes parents and their children, one may, more likely than not, witness parents imposing their paradigm on their children. The paradigm includes religion and values, which ultimately dictate what is good and what is bad. However, parents are not to be blamed, for it was their parents who did the same and, therefore, in many cases the parents do not know otherwise. Ruiz continues to explain that “children believe everything adults say. [They] agree with them, and [one’s] faith is so strong that the belief system controls [one’s] whole dream of life“(Ruiz Four Agreements 5).
As one becomes older, the thoughts in the mind become normal and, inevitably, the voice becomes that of the individual. This leaves one with the conclusion that the voice must always be true. Thus, one becomes identified with the mind. Eckhart Tolle states that being “spiritually unconscious” occurs when one is “completely identified with … compulsive thinking” (Tolle 30). The identification with the mind brings about unnecessary suffering. The suffering comes about because the ego is “completely conditioned by the past” (Tolle 34).Furthermore, the past experiences that one has had in the past determines how the person reacts to certain situations. In the film Revolver, Jake is completely controlled by his mind. This is evident throughout the film, especially after Jake begins to abide by the Loan Sharks’ demands. One is also able to hear the ego and see the impact it has on the character during the scene where Jake goes into the elevator and faces his claustrophobia. In this scene, Jake’s ego tries to use fear in order to get Jake under its’ control.
The ego is predictable in that it either feels superior or inferior to others. A portrayal of this notion can be seen in the film The Peaceful Warrior where Dan first meets Socrates. Dan’s arrogance leads him to believe that he is the best in gymnastics and is bothered by the inexplicable stunt done by Socrates-appearing to leap on top of the roof. Another scene where arrogance is portrayed is in the scene when Dan is not receiving quick and easy answers from Socrates which leads Dan to frustratingly try to ridicule Socrates for working at a service station. However, Socrates wisely replies that “there is no higher purpose than service to others,” which Dan’s ego cannot process because the ego does not understand humility. Negative thinking also has an affect on a person when one thinks poorly of oneself. Many times the negative self thought keeps individuals from reaching their potential or not to even try to show any potential at all as well as, bringing about harmful effects on the physical level. In the 2004 film What the Bleep Do We Know!?, Dr. Joseph Dispenza, D.C explains that “the hypothalamus is like a little mini factory and it is a place that assembles certain chemicals that match certain emotions that [individuals] experience” (Dispenza). There are chemicals for emotions such as anger, sadness, lust, etc. and are received by cells; which then “sets off … biochemical events, some of which wind up with changes in the actual nucleus in the cell” (Dr. Candice Pert). To further explain, when one is experiencing a certain emotion, the hypothalamus begins to create a chemical that matches the emotion. The chemicals then travel through the blood stream reaching a wide number of cells that are receptive to the chemical which then changes the cell’s physicality. At a certain scene in the film, Amanda begins to see herself negatively in the mirror. As she does this, the hypothalamus begins to assemble chemicals that ultimately kill off perfectly healthy cells in order to infect new cells with the new negative emotions that she is emitting. During the same scene, there was a reemphasis on the ground breaking work by Masaru Emoto. His experiments consisted of deliberately speaking and printing positive and negative thoughts on water containers which he would then freeze and photograph the water crystals. In his experiments, it was found that positive thoughts such as “love and appreciation” produced beautiful water crystals, whereas negative thoughts, for instance, “you make me sick. I will kill you,” produced distorted formations. This leaves one to ponder about the effects of negative thoughts on one’s body, for the body is made up of mostly water. As the ego continues to emit negative thoughts, neuropath ways are formed in which a state of negativity becomes a norm. Dr.Dispenza explains that “the brain is made up of tiny nerve cells called neurons … and connect to other neurons to form a neuron net [and] each place where they connect is integrated into a thought or a memory ” (Dr. Dispenza, D.C). He further explains that “physiologically, nerve cells that fire together, wire together” which means that by repetition, one is able to reach a “long-term relationship” within the nerve cells. Thus, an innate, automatic behavior is then created. He continues to explain that “nerves that [do not] fire together, no longer wire together [and] lose their long-term relationship” (Dr. Dispenza); which means that the habit of negativity is possible to break by interrupting “the thought process that produces a chemical response in the body” (Dr. Dispenza). Furthermore, by “observing …the effects it takes, then we are no longer the body, mind, conscious, emotional person [that is] responding to its’ environment as if [it is] automatic” (Dr. Dispenza). In addition, practicing present moment awareness -observing- leads one to counteract negative emotions in order for the hypothalamus to not produce any chemicals that literally kill one’s cells. Further establishment that thoughts have a significant influence is in the literary essay As a Man Thinketh by James Allen in which it states that a “man is literally what he thinks". One’s perceived sense of reality is also determined by the individual’s thoughts in that “the focus of [one’s] awareness becomes the reality of [one’s] world” (Braden Divine Matrix 79).
The films The Peaceful Warrior and The Matrix as well as Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” are great examples where blind ignorance through domination by the ego is depicted. In The Peaceful Warrior, Dan does not know what an ego is until Socrates takes him up to the top of the gym to observe his coach and teammates. Observing his coach and teammates talking themselves down led Dan to become aware of how unconscious they really were to their negative thoughts about themselves. The Matrix is a great example of domination in that the film is based on the premises that machines are running the real world while using humanity as an energy source through embryonic-like compartments where humans are asleep completely unaware and unconscious to the abomination of dreaming their lives away while being used by their parasitic hosts, the machines, as sources of energy. As Neo begins to awaken onboard the Nebuchadnezzar, he asks Morpheus “why do my eyes hurt?” to which Morpheus responds, “You’ve never used them before. “ Likewise, in Plato’s “Allegory of The Cave,” when the prisoner is released and steps outside of the cave, his eyes are in pain as well. Both Neo and the prisoner have never used their own eyes to see the real world. Their perception of reality was acutely distorted through illusions created by the collective unconsciousness of their egos keeping them imprisoned and controlled.
Another major string which the master Puppeter utilizes to control an individual is the pull of addictions which keep an individual enslaved, dysfunctional and out of integrity. Individuals are enslaved when they feel the need for whatever it may be that they are addicted to. Dr. Dispenza states that one is an addict if “[one] [cannot] control [one’s] emotional state; [one] must be addicted to it.” With this notion in mind, one does not have to further wonder why an addict would go to great lengths just to get another emotional high. A sex addict may act on trying to find a high by trying something new. The individual becomes dysfunctional in that he or she loses common sense and may perform sexual acts that are dangerous such as promiscuity, unsafe sex, and even using drugs to try to enhance the sexual sensation. Dr. Grant mentions, in her book I Thought I Was The Crazy One, that one characteristic of a toxic person is when an individual “acts out of compulsion as opposed to reason [and] this person will lack discipline and find it difficult, if not impossible, to delay gratification.’ Furthermore, the need for instant gratification is what keeps an individual in dysfunction. An individual faces being without integrity in that when one looks at the Map of Consciousness by Dr. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D., one sees that the level of desire calibrates at 125. Dr. Hawkins makes the note that the “critical response point in the scale of consciousness calibrates at level 200, which is the level associated with integrity and courage ... all attitudes, thoughts, feelings … below that level of calibration make[s] a person go weak”(Hawkins 70). As one is being pulled by the string of addiction, the loss of integrity is seen due to many addicts feeling a sense of shame, guilt, apathy, or fear; all of which calibrate below level 200. One may lie about where he or she goes, finances are depleted due to spending on the addiction, one may even end up in jail due the addictions. Dr. Hawkins notes that “all levels below 200 are destructive of life in both the individual and society at large” (Hawkins 76). Falling into addictions is not very difficult when one is calibrating below 200 due to lack of self-esteem as well as feelings of remorse, hopelessness, and dependency. In that one’s thoughts determine one’s neuropath ways, as stated by Dr. Dispenza, one’s addictions will lead one to believe that the addictive substance is a necessity. One may suppress these feelings with legal and/or illegal drugs, alcohol, sex, money, expensive materials, and even food. In a deeper look into addictions to food, Dr. Grant uncovers that “parasites [secrete] substances compelling individuals to overeat the foods that feed the parasites while starving the body of nourishment” (Grant Body Temple 7). This means that the ego literally has tiny parasites that are working for it and assisting in the destruction of the Self.
When one calibrates below level 200, based on the Map of Consciousness by Dr. Hawkins, one will be acting on cowardice. The low levels of self-esteem and addictions will keep one in fear of facing the source of the individual’s problems-the ego. Ignorance may not be involved, for one may be aware of the problem and the solution but does not want to go forth because the individual fears the difficulties involved. In the enlightening documentary Kymatica, Benjamin Stewart notes that individuals “fear the alternative-independence.” In the movie The Peaceful Warrior, Dan was faced with his greatest fear- a shattered leg relinquishing the possibility to continue training as a gymnist. The event caused Dan to drop on the Map of Consciousness to the levels of apathy (50), Grief (75), and anger (150). Experiencing these feelings opened the door for the Dark Night of the Soul where Dan came face to face with his destructive ego. Osho states that “the ego is not a very intelligent thing; all egos are idiotic” and this can be witnessed in the movie where Dan is facing his ego at the top of the bell tower in that it behaves dangerously. Similarly, the same depiction of the insanity of the ego may be witnessed in the film Revolver in the scene where Jake is inside the elevator.
In spite of all of the different strings that the ego pulls to control an individual, all one has to do is give rise to consciousness. As one begins to be aware of the presence of the ego, the ego’s strings of control begin to disintegrate, along with ignorance. One is able to notice and feel the ego as it is within in order for the ego to not project out. The documentary Kymatica resurfaced the notion of using art as a form of therapy. It shares how ancient indigenous civilizations used different types of art forms to project what was negative inside of them outward so that it gets exercised and does not infect the community since insanity tends to be contagious. Using art as a means to relieve one of their “inner demons” (aka. Ego), the ancient people lived in peace and harmony with themselves and the Earth. Furthermore, the film shares a quote that states, “if [one] bring[s] forth what is within …, what [one] bring[s] forth will save [the individual], if [one] [does] not bring forth what is within …, what [one] [does] not bring forth will destroy [the individual]” (The Gnostic Christ -Dead Sea Scrolls). The shift in consciousness will transform a person in that “thinking and awareness separate …, [and] instead of being lost in [one’s] thinking…, awareness takes over from thinking” (259). Having awareness requires that one is in the present moment. However, one has to “clear away the debris” (Dr. Marshal), or as Socrates in The Peaceful Warrior puts it, “take out the trash;” which simply means to clear the mind of anything that keeps one from experiencing the present moment. Zen master Thich Nhant Hanh teaches that by simply observing one’s breathing brings an individual in to the present moment. This is the message behind the short verse,