This is a practical and straightforward approach to the concept of psyche vs. ego. The concept of psyche often confounds and confuses the novice, but when one mentions "presence," it's as if the air is lighter. You can often see a person's shoulders loosen and breath relax. That is the CEO we should strive to be. It's a lovely visualization.
Thanks, Brother V, whenever I start to feel stressed out, it helps a lot to remember “make the one care the care for being here.” It really does make everything else kind of fall into place.🌎 I had to laugh at “embarrassingly simple.”☯️
I do like the idea of reorganizing to help manage EGO overload. Your differentiation between personally and presence is really powerful, as well. Thanks VMB!
Your statements remind me of some of the teachings of A Course in Miracles. (There are teachings I disagree with but it gives insight into healing human relationships. Not surprisingly, its channel was a psychologist and its scribe was a psychiatrist.)
I’m not sure what you’re seeing there. This piece isn’t working inside ACIM’s universe at all. It’s just pointing to how attention shapes experience, nothing more esoteric than that. If there’s a link you’re noticing, you’ll have to spell it out because I am missing it.
I’m in no position to summarize the teachings of ACIM—what I remember from what I read and listened to is that individuals were created by God so that God could have experiences. However, individuals decided that they needed to be separate from God, and their egos took control. Jesus was one who freed himself from control by the ego, and he is trying to help those who will listen do so also. ACIM also teaches that there are only two forces which control people: love and fear, but fear is an illusion which can be transmuted through love.
Michael, thanks for laying out what you remember from ACIM. There are a few different threads tangled together in that summary.
The idea that God creates many so the Divine can be known or experienced through the many is old mystical territory. You find versions of that long before ACIM in mainstream theology and in the more esoteric stuff.
The bit about “we decided to be separate and the ego took over” is ACIM’s particular myth. That is its way of telling the story, not a universal one.
And the love / fear piece is really their simplified map. A lot of traditions talk about contraction versus openness. ACIM just boils it down to two words and runs everything through that filter.
Perfect description of my ego & presence & the dance they do so frequently itz like a show Elvis booked for years in Vegas with the same set list every nite. I can only take so much of that. This is the most clear cut, understandable, simple (not always easy, i have a powerful forgetter), & gentle description of what can change so much, probably everything. Everything you share on Presence initiates an interior change which leads to exterior change. Clichés run rampant sometimes - old habits die hard, you cant teach an old dog new tricks - but I’m reading this, more than once, & responding & practicing, which are new tricks & a few not so much in the new category anymore (tho i might need an outside opinion on that 🙄)
I’ll see how identity/ego & presence interact today. Fits in so beautifully with a few other things I’m reading so I’ll take the hint & keep exploring new waters in a different way. Gratitude 💆🏻
This is a practical and straightforward approach to the concept of psyche vs. ego. The concept of psyche often confounds and confuses the novice, but when one mentions "presence," it's as if the air is lighter. You can often see a person's shoulders loosen and breath relax. That is the CEO we should strive to be. It's a lovely visualization.
Great and inspiring teaching. I understand better the role of presence, identity and ego. The pecking order gets a little out of hand sometimes!
Thanks, Brother V, whenever I start to feel stressed out, it helps a lot to remember “make the one care the care for being here.” It really does make everything else kind of fall into place.🌎 I had to laugh at “embarrassingly simple.”☯️
I do like the idea of reorganizing to help manage EGO overload. Your differentiation between personally and presence is really powerful, as well. Thanks VMB!
I need to work on not reacting to getting my buttons pushed
Your statements remind me of some of the teachings of A Course in Miracles. (There are teachings I disagree with but it gives insight into healing human relationships. Not surprisingly, its channel was a psychologist and its scribe was a psychiatrist.)
I’m not sure what you’re seeing there. This piece isn’t working inside ACIM’s universe at all. It’s just pointing to how attention shapes experience, nothing more esoteric than that. If there’s a link you’re noticing, you’ll have to spell it out because I am missing it.
I’m in no position to summarize the teachings of ACIM—what I remember from what I read and listened to is that individuals were created by God so that God could have experiences. However, individuals decided that they needed to be separate from God, and their egos took control. Jesus was one who freed himself from control by the ego, and he is trying to help those who will listen do so also. ACIM also teaches that there are only two forces which control people: love and fear, but fear is an illusion which can be transmuted through love.
Michael, thanks for laying out what you remember from ACIM. There are a few different threads tangled together in that summary.
The idea that God creates many so the Divine can be known or experienced through the many is old mystical territory. You find versions of that long before ACIM in mainstream theology and in the more esoteric stuff.
The bit about “we decided to be separate and the ego took over” is ACIM’s particular myth. That is its way of telling the story, not a universal one.
And the love / fear piece is really their simplified map. A lot of traditions talk about contraction versus openness. ACIM just boils it down to two words and runs everything through that filter.
Perfect description of my ego & presence & the dance they do so frequently itz like a show Elvis booked for years in Vegas with the same set list every nite. I can only take so much of that. This is the most clear cut, understandable, simple (not always easy, i have a powerful forgetter), & gentle description of what can change so much, probably everything. Everything you share on Presence initiates an interior change which leads to exterior change. Clichés run rampant sometimes - old habits die hard, you cant teach an old dog new tricks - but I’m reading this, more than once, & responding & practicing, which are new tricks & a few not so much in the new category anymore (tho i might need an outside opinion on that 🙄)
I’ll see how identity/ego & presence interact today. Fits in so beautifully with a few other things I’m reading so I’ll take the hint & keep exploring new waters in a different way. Gratitude 💆🏻