Be Distracted By Silence
Most westerners in this twenty first century, live their lives surrounded by the hustle and bustle of a major city or town and are immersed in mountains of technological distractions.
Living in these environments, all five of our senses are hammered relentlessly on a daily basis.
Human bodies are immersed in an array of microwaves and electromagnetic fields. The five senses are assaulted 24/7 with sights, sounds, tastes, textures and smells. A potential sensory overload everyday.
Many of us thrive in this type of environment. It is a lifestyle which encourages full escapism into unconscious distractions. Turn on the telly, jump on the net or start up the game console for a few levels of FarCry3.
If we are living a life of distractions, what are we actually being distracted from? What exactly are we missing out on if we continue being distracted?
A spiritual healer, may respond that you’re not facing yourself. You’re continually running away from how you really feel. Too scared to feel the fear. Too scared to accept the love. Too goddam busy to feel anything.
Are you feeling depressed? Get on facebook. Are you feeling empty and pointless? Turn on the telly. The six oclock news is bound to cheer you up.
Eastern mysticism may say you’re running away from the nothingness that you are. Afraid of the emptiness. Afraid of discovering what exists when you are doing or being nothing. Using distractions to run away from the one who exists before a thought, and after a thought.
A quantum neurologist may say you’re not allowing the alpha and beta waves in your brain to flow freely. The continuous technological distractions are usually left brain orientated. They’d probably suggest you practice more quietness, meditate, letting the right brain communicate with the left brain, increasing your alpha and beta waves.
And lastly we could have the naturalist. The one who is anchored in the physical universe of suns, planets, animals, plants and minerals.
They’d probably suggest you need to get distracted by your natural surroundings, instead of mind numbing technology. Go outside and sit under a tree, or climb up on top of a rock. Instead of thinking and thinking … just stop and feel. Use your 5 senses to reveal a hidden, sixth sense.
Be quiet and hear the breeze speak to you, see the tree dance before your eyes, or absorb the immense knowledge of the rock that’s been sitting there observing life for the past 200,000 years.
Me, I’m a lover of distraction. But I am aware of the chaotic and unfulfilled life that distractions tend to foster. I’d be wiser and more balanced if I took a snippet of advice from each of the above.
Perhaps the next time we find ourselves logging into facebook, or mindlessly browsing youtube channels, we could instead go and sit alone, quietly. Let the unsettled settle. Allow space for those sub-conscious, nagging thoughts to arise in all their glory or horror, and be willing to experience them to their fullest. No matter the consequences.
Let our alpha and beta waves flow freely throughout our brain, just by letting everything come and go with no need of distractions.
When we’re having those days of feeling empty, and life is totally pointless, then we could be happy to sit with that. Be empty, be lonely, feel pointless. Why not?
And all the while, we could do this sitting under a tree, barefooted, feet buried into the soil and bum firmly planted on a rock.
Who knows, that silence and emptiness may contain more than all our distractions.
Eastern mysticism may say you’re running away from the nothingness that you are. Afraid of the emptiness. Afraid of discovering what exists when you are doing or being nothing. Using distractions to run away from the one who exists before a thought, and after a thought.
A quantum neurologist may say you’re not allowing the alpha and beta waves in your brain to flow freely. The continuous technological distractions are usually left brain orientated. They’d probably suggest you practice more quietness, meditate, letting the right brain communicate with the left brain, increasing your alpha and beta waves.
And lastly we could have the naturalist. The one who is anchored in the physical universe of suns, planets, animals, plants and minerals.
They’d probably suggest you need to get distracted by your natural surroundings, instead of mind numbing technology. Go outside and sit under a tree, or climb up on top of a rock. Instead of thinking and thinking … just stop and feel. Use your 5 senses to reveal a hidden, sixth sense.
Be quiet and hear the breeze speak to you, see the tree dance before your eyes, or absorb the immense knowledge of the rock that’s been sitting there observing life for the past 200,000 years.
Me, I’m a lover of distraction. But I am aware of the chaotic and unfulfilled life that distractions tend to foster. I’d be wiser and more balanced if I took a snippet of advice from each of the above.
Perhaps the next time we find ourselves logging into facebook, or mindlessly browsing youtube channels, we could instead go and sit alone, quietly. Let the unsettled settle. Allow space for those sub-conscious, nagging thoughts to arise in all their glory or horror, and be willing to experience them to their fullest. No matter the consequences.
Let our alpha and beta waves flow freely throughout our brain, just by letting everything come and go with no need of distractions.
When we’re having those days of feeling empty, and life is totally pointless, then we could be happy to sit with that. Be empty, be lonely, feel pointless. Why not?
And all the while, we could do this sitting under a tree, barefooted, feet buried into the soil and bum firmly planted on a rock.
Who knows, that silence and emptiness may contain more than all our distractions.