WEBVTT

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Welcome to the Deep Dive. We're all about unpacking

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complex ideas, finding that profound simplicity

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that often gets hidden underneath layers of how

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we usually think. Today, we're really embarking

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on quite an extraordinary journey, I think, right

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to the core of human experience. We'll be exploring

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concepts that promise Well, liberation from suffering,

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really, and a clearer path towards genuine inner

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peace. Indeed. It's a significant undertaking.

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It is. We're delving into a work that truly challenges

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us to fundamentally re -examine our relationship

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with our own minds and even our understanding

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of time itself. Absolutely. We'll be exploring

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the transformative insights from Eckhart Tolle's

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work, The Power of Now. And like you said, this

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isn't just about understanding a philosophy intellectually.

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Right, not just academics. No, not at all. It's

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really an invitation to recognize these, well,

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timeless truths that might resonate quite deeply

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within you, offering a practical, sort of actionable

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pathway to a more conscious, freer, and ultimately

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a more fulfilling way of existing. And our mission

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today, really, is to pull out the most potent

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insights from this material, not just to summarize,

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but to really help you, the listener, grasp the

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essence of what it means to be truly present,

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to break free from those, you know, stubborn,

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habitual patterns of thought and emotion that

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so often keep us feeling stuck. Yeah, those loops

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we get into. Exactly. And maybe discover that

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vast, unshakable inner treasure that Tolie speaks

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about so eloquently. So, yeah. get ready to maybe

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shift your perspective a bit on time, identity,

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and the very nature of your being. It's potentially

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life -changing stuff. Definitely feels like it.

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So to kick things off, let's just establish some

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foundational concepts from this really powerful

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work. First up, this word enlightenment. For

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many people, it conjures up something almost

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superhuman, doesn't it? Oh, absolutely. Levitation,

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mystical powers. Yeah, exactly. Something totally

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unattainable. But how does this work redefine

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enlightenment for us in a way that maybe feels,

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I don't know, incredibly accessible, relevant

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to just everyday life? That's a great starting

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point. Totally, well, he radically redefines

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it. It's not about gaining something extra, some

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special quality. It's actually about losing something.

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Losing something, okay. Yeah. Specifically, he

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describes it very simply as the end of suffering,

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full stop. The end of suffering, wow. It's essentially

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a return to your natural state, a felt sense

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of oneness with what he calls being. Now this

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being, it's described as this immeasurable, indestructible

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essence. that is fundamentally you, but it's

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also greater than your individual name and form.

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So it's our true nature beneath the surface stuff.

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Precisely. Finding your true nature beyond the

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labels, the mental constructs, the stories we

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tell ourselves. And when that happens, the illusion

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of being separate from everything else, which

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is the root of so much fear and conflict, that

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starts to dissolve. OK. And crucially, he also

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calls it the end of what he terms dreadful enslavement

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to incessant thinking. The constant mind chatter.

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That endless noise, yes. So the work suggests

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this state of liberation isn't something you

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achieve or acquire through effort. It's actually

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already within you. It's an inherent truth that

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just needs to be, well, remembered. A return

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to your original state before the mind's chatter

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sort of took over and obscured it. That's quite

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a provocative definition. The end of suffering.

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It almost sounds too simple given how deeply

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ingrained suffering feels in the human condition.

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It does sound simple, but the implications are

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vast. Yeah. So if it's truly about the end of

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incessant thinking, then our minds, which are,

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let's face it, constantly active, they must be

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the primary obstacle, right? The main blockage.

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That's exactly the central insight Tolle presents.

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How does he suggest our mind often works against

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us then, rather than for us? He makes this really

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crucial distinction. The mind itself, he says,

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is a superb instrument when used rightly. Okay,

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so it has its place. Absolutely. But when used

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wrongly, Or rather, when it uses us, it becomes

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destructive. And that, he says, is the more common

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scenario. It often uses us. He even calls this

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the disease of humanity. The disease. Yeah. So

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the core delusion, the fundamental mistake, is

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believing you are your mind. Believing that the

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relentless internal monologue, the stream of

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judgments, the worries, the plans, that that

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is who you are. Instead of just activity happening.

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Exactly. In reality, he suggests, the instrument

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has taken you over. It's like being possessed,

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he says, but without even knowing it. Most people,

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he argues, are run by these involuntary thought

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processes, that incessant internal monologue

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or dialogue that's constantly commenting, speculating,

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judging, complaining, liking, disliking, worrying.

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Non -stop. Non -stop. And this voice, this stream,

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is often. completely disconnected from the present

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moment. He's constantly dredging up the past

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or projecting into these imaginary, often quite

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negative future scenarios. Right, replaying old

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hurts or worrying about what might go wrong.

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Precisely. So this conditioned mind views the

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present moment through these distorting filters

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of past experiences and future anxieties. This

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creates a skewed, usually negative perception

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of reality. And in doing so, it becomes your

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own worst enemy. It attacks you, punishes you

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from within, drains your vital energy, and just

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perpetuates this cycle of misery and unhappiness.

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That's quite a picture. He poses a challenge.

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Can you find the off button for this constant

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thinking? Can you choose to be free from your

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mind, whatever you want? If not, he suggests,

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then the mind is almost certainly using you.

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That image of being possessed by our own minds

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is quite chilling, isn't it? And honestly, quite

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relatable on some days. Very relatable for most

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people, I think. It really sounds like the mind

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is just relentlessly pulling us away from what's

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actually happening, from the unfolding reality

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right in front of us. Away from life itself.

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Which perfectly highlights why the very next

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concept from Tali's work is so incredibly vital,

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the now. What exactly is the now and why is it

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presented as so profoundly important for our

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liberation? The now. Well, it's the one point

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that exists outside of what Tolle calls psychological

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time. It's eternal and he emphasizes uniquely

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precious. Outside of time. Outside of psychological

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time, yes. He states it quite unequivocally.

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Nothing ever truly happened in the past and nothing

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will ever truly happen in the future. Everything

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only ever happens in the now. Okay, that needs

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unpacking. How can nothing have happened in the

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past? What we perceive as the past, he argues,

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is simply a memory trace. A former now stored

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within our minds. When you recall something from

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the past, you're not actually traveling back

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in time. You're reactivating that memory trace

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right now in the present moment. Ah, I see. The

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remembering happens now. Exactly. And similarly,

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what we imagine as the future is merely a projection

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of the mind. And when that projected future arrives,

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if it does, it will also manifest as the now.

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Always now. Always now. The present moment is

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the singular unchanging reality of existence.

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And because of that, it holds the absolute key

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to liberation, because it's the only point where

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we can access being, that deeper reality we talked

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about. So focusing on past and future, actually

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makes us miss the only reality there is. That's

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the core idea. The more you're focused on psychological

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time dwelling on past regrets or obsessing about

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future outcomes, the more you inevitably miss

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the now, which is ironically the most precious

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thing there is. It's where life actually happens.

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It makes sense when you put it like that. And

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Tull points out that spiritual masters throughout

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history. figures like Jesus or the Buddha, have

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consistently pointed to the now as the fundamental

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key. Even if their teachings sometimes got misunderstood

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or obscured over time, the very essence of Zen,

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for instance, is about living right on what's

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called the razor's edge of now. Being so utterly

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completely present that no problems. Nothing

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mine made can actually survive in that space

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that makes so much sense It's like we spend our

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lives watching a mental movie about life rather

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than truly experiencing the actual unfolding

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reality That's a very good analogy lost in the

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movie So let's delve a bit deeper into this fundamental

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obstacle, the mind. If the mind uses us, as Toli

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suggests, how does that actually show up in our

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daily lives? And what's the direct link to our

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emotional experience, our feelings? Well, the

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mind's insidious use of us. Toli highlights this

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with a really powerful distinction. He says,

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just because you can solve a complex crossword

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puzzle or, you know, contribute to building something

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as technically intricate as an atom bomb, That

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doesn't automatically mean you were using your

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mind effectively. Okay, so intelligence isn't

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the same as conscious use. Exactly. Often he

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argues it's your mind using you. It gets its

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teeth into problems, whether they're real or

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completely imagined, and just chews on them endlessly.

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This mind is perpetually concerned with keeping

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the past alive. Why? Because without that past

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narrative, the egoic sense of who I am feels

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threatened, like it might dissolve. Ah, so identity

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is tied to the past. deeply. And then it compulsively

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projects itself into the future, creating this

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persistent internal narrative that promises,

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OK, one day, when this happens, or I achieve

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that, or I get this thing, then finally I'll

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be OK. Then I'll be happy. Peace I'll be happy

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when syndrome precisely and this unobserved mind

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which totally essentially equates with the ego

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Perceives itself as this separate little fragment

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adrift in a vast often seemingly hostile universe

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a feeling of isolation Yes, and this fundamental

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misperception gives rise to all these ingrained

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patterns Resistance to what is needing to control

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situations and people power dynamics greed defensiveness

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attack You name it. All those lovely human traits.

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Indeed. But the critical insight here is that

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these egoic strategies, they never actually solve

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the ego's perceived problems. Why? Because the

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ego is the problem itself. It's this deep identification

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with the mind, with its endless stream of thoughts,

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concepts, labels, judgments, that creates this

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kind of opaque screen. A screen? Yeah, a screen

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that blocks your true relationship with your

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own... deeper self, your being. It blocks genuine

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connection with other people, with the natural

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world, and with, well, whatever term you prefer,

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the divine universal consciousness, life itself.

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It's a constant barrier to presence and true

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connection. So the mind isn't just a voice chattering

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away. It's this deeply ingrained system of belief

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that constructs and fiercely defends our very

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identity, our sense of self. That's a very accurate

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way to describe it. And how do our emotions fit

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into this picture? The material seems to draw

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a very direct, almost immediate line between

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our thoughts and our feelings. Absolutely direct.

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Emotion fundamentally is defined as the body's

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reaction to your mind. It's a direct physical

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reflection of your mind's manifesting in your

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body. Okay, give me an example. Sure. So if your

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mind generates, say, a hostile thought about

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someone, your body immediately responds with

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the biochemical changes we associate with anger,

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heat, tension, maybe a faster heartbeat. Or,

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if you have a thought related to threat, what

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if this bad thing happens? Your body instantly

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manifests fear. Again, with corresponding physical

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sensations and hormonal shifts. It's automatic.

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Completely automatic. And what's crucial here,

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and often missed, is that we are frequently unconscious

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of our deeply entrenched thought patterns. They

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run on autopilot. We don't even realize we're

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thinking them. Often not. So it's primarily through

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observing our emotions, really feeling them in

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the body without judgment, that we can begin

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to bring those underlying, often hidden thought

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patterns into our conscious awareness. So the

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emotion is like a clue to the hidden thought.

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Exactly. Totally suggest that if there's ever

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a conflict between what you think you're feeling,

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fine, and what you're actually feeling in your

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body. your stomach, tension in your shoulders,

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the emotion always offers a truer, more honest

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reflection of your current state of mind. That's

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interesting. Trust the feeling more than the

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thought about the feeling. Yes. And observing

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an emotion is quite similar to watching a thought,

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but it carries a much stronger, more visceral

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physical component. By simply observing it, feeling

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the anger, the fear, the sadness, without getting

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caught up in the story around it. without resisting

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it or judging it. Just letting it be there. Just

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letting it be there. You step into the role of

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the watcher, the observing presence. This allows

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the emotion to simply exist without you being

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controlled or overwhelmed by it. And this very

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act breaks the unconscious identification. It

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brings those often deeply buried unconscious

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patterns into the light of your conscious awareness

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where they can begin to dissolve. That makes

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incredible sense. And that leads us to this.

00:12:41.500 --> 00:12:44.360
Well, rather unsettling concept, Tolien introduces

00:12:44.360 --> 00:12:47.320
the pain body. It sounds like a significant,

00:12:47.539 --> 00:12:49.820
almost parasitic part of our emotional landscape.

00:12:50.279 --> 00:12:52.279
What exactly is it and how does it operate? The

00:12:52.279 --> 00:12:55.240
emotional pain body. Yeah. Yes, it's a profound

00:12:55.240 --> 00:12:57.659
and for many a challenging concept to really

00:12:57.659 --> 00:13:00.720
grasp, but it's absolutely central to understanding

00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:03.759
why suffering persists so strongly. Tolien describes

00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:06.700
it as an accumulated negative energy field. It's

00:13:06.700 --> 00:13:08.759
made up of all the past emotional pain you've

00:13:08.759 --> 00:13:12.100
experienced and, crucially, not fully faced and

00:13:12.100 --> 00:13:15.299
accepted in the moment it arose. This pain gets

00:13:15.299 --> 00:13:17.639
lodged not just in the mind as memories, but

00:13:17.639 --> 00:13:20.019
deep within the body's cellular structure. Like

00:13:20.019 --> 00:13:22.759
trapped energy. Exactly. Think of it as a semi

00:13:22.759 --> 00:13:25.440
-autonomous energetic entity, a kind of psychic

00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:28.360
parasite, a reservoir of old hearts, resentments,

00:13:28.500 --> 00:13:31.840
grief, anger, trauma. All coalesce together.

00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:34.720
Wow. Now this pain body can lie dormant for periods

00:13:34.720 --> 00:13:37.029
just waiting in the background. but it becomes

00:13:37.029 --> 00:13:39.889
active, it wakes up, when triggered by various

00:13:39.889 --> 00:13:42.809
situations, particularly situations that resonate

00:13:42.809 --> 00:13:45.090
energetically with some kind of past emotional

00:13:45.090 --> 00:13:47.610
pain. So something now reminds it of something

00:13:47.610 --> 00:13:50.730
old. Precisely. An innocent remark from a colleague,

00:13:50.750 --> 00:13:52.870
for instance, might suddenly activate it if it

00:13:52.870 --> 00:13:55.610
touches an old, unhealed wound related to criticism

00:13:55.610 --> 00:13:58.350
from childhood, causing a completely disproportionate

00:13:58.350 --> 00:14:00.649
emotional reaction. Right, like overreacting

00:14:00.649 --> 00:14:03.669
massively. Exactly. And here's the critical insight.

00:14:04.190 --> 00:14:07.289
Like any entity, Toley suggests, the pain body

00:14:07.289 --> 00:14:10.090
wants to survive. And it can only survive if

00:14:10.090 --> 00:14:12.210
it gets you to unconsciously identify with it.

00:14:12.350 --> 00:14:15.490
Meaning believe that you are that pain. Yes.

00:14:15.509 --> 00:14:18.320
When it's triggered, it rises up. takes you over,

00:14:18.620 --> 00:14:20.740
essentially becomes you for that period, and

00:14:20.740 --> 00:14:22.700
then it lives through you. It needs to get its

00:14:22.700 --> 00:14:26.139
food, its nourishment through you. And it feeds

00:14:26.139 --> 00:14:28.700
on any experience that resonates with its own

00:14:28.700 --> 00:14:30.919
kind of energy. Which is pain? Which is pain.

00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:33.100
It thrives on anything that creates further pain.

00:14:33.580 --> 00:14:36.759
Anger, rage, destructiveness, hatred, guilt,

00:14:37.220 --> 00:14:40.039
intense grief, any kind of emotional drama. It

00:14:40.039 --> 00:14:42.879
literally finds experiences of joy, peace, or

00:14:42.879 --> 00:14:45.419
genuine love quite indigestible. You can't feed

00:14:45.419 --> 00:14:47.259
on those. That's quite sinister. It can feel

00:14:47.259 --> 00:14:49.919
that way. And it's more insidious manifestations.

00:14:50.220 --> 00:14:52.419
The pain body will even unconsciously create

00:14:52.419 --> 00:14:54.139
situations in your life through your reactions.

00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:56.299
your behavior that are likely to generate more

00:14:56.299 --> 00:14:58.639
pain just to perpetuate its own cycle. Because

00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:01.320
pain can only feed on pain. So it sabotages happiness

00:15:01.320 --> 00:15:05.009
to stay alive. In a sense, yes. Tolda describes

00:15:05.009 --> 00:15:08.669
it as a dark shadow cast by the ego. And paradoxically,

00:15:09.029 --> 00:15:11.370
it's deeply afraid of the light of consciousness,

00:15:11.769 --> 00:15:14.389
your presence, because that light is what ultimately

00:15:14.389 --> 00:15:16.710
dissolves it. So it's almost like this separate

00:15:16.710 --> 00:15:19.570
autonomous entity living inside us, feeding on

00:15:19.570 --> 00:15:22.289
our suffering and subtly orchestrating our lives

00:15:22.289 --> 00:15:24.750
just to ensure its own survival. That's a good

00:15:24.750 --> 00:15:27.149
way to understand the concept, yes. It sounds

00:15:27.149 --> 00:15:29.269
dramatic, but reflects the experience many people

00:15:29.269 --> 00:15:31.590
have with recurring negative emotional patterns.

00:15:31.850 --> 00:15:35.169
Okay, so how on earth do we break free from this

00:15:35.169 --> 00:15:39.250
if it's so deeply ingrained and, well, insidious?

00:15:39.669 --> 00:15:42.350
To transcend the pain body totally emphasizes

00:15:42.350 --> 00:15:46.070
one absolute crucial step. You must observe it

00:15:46.070 --> 00:15:48.549
observe it not fight it not fight it not try

00:15:48.549 --> 00:15:50.730
to suppress it or wish it away That just creates

00:15:50.730 --> 00:15:53.009
more inner conflict and actually fuels it further

00:15:53.009 --> 00:15:56.110
Instead you simply observe it feel its raw energy

00:15:56.110 --> 00:15:58.429
within your body without judging it without mentally

00:15:58.429 --> 00:16:00.830
labeling it all there's my anger again And most

00:16:00.830 --> 00:16:02.950
importantly without identifying with it don't

00:16:02.950 --> 00:16:06.029
say I'm angry say there is anger in me create

00:16:06.029 --> 00:16:09.049
that separation Exactly, this is where presence

00:16:09.049 --> 00:16:12.169
comes in presence is that higher dimension of

00:16:12.169 --> 00:16:15.350
consciousness the witnessing awareness that breaks

00:16:15.350 --> 00:16:18.909
the identification. When you are present, you

00:16:18.909 --> 00:16:20.730
become the conscious space in which the pain

00:16:20.730 --> 00:16:23.389
body arises and dissolves, rather than being

00:16:23.389 --> 00:16:25.610
unconsciously overtaken by it. So watching it

00:16:25.610 --> 00:16:28.509
is enough? Simply watching it is the key, and

00:16:28.509 --> 00:16:31.049
this act of watching implies a radical acceptance

00:16:31.049 --> 00:16:33.450
of it as part of what is in that particular moment.

00:16:33.950 --> 00:16:35.450
It doesn't mean you like it, but you allow it

00:16:35.450 --> 00:16:38.830
to be there. Okay. This sustained conscious attention

00:16:38.830 --> 00:16:41.450
severs the vital link between the pain body and

00:16:41.450 --> 00:16:43.840
your thought processes. Because normally the

00:16:43.840 --> 00:16:45.899
pain body triggers thoughts and those thoughts

00:16:45.899 --> 00:16:48.179
then feed the emotion creating a vicious cycle,

00:16:48.179 --> 00:16:50.539
right? The thoughts keep the feeling going exactly,

00:16:50.539 --> 00:16:53.460
but when you watch the feeling directly Without

00:16:53.460 --> 00:16:55.799
thinking about it, you stop feeding it with more

00:16:55.799 --> 00:16:59.379
thoughts and reactions. That raw, intense emotional

00:16:59.379 --> 00:17:01.740
energy then gets transmuted. It doesn't just

00:17:01.740 --> 00:17:04.920
disappear, it transforms. Tolle even describes

00:17:04.920 --> 00:17:08.299
this process as a form of esoteric alchemy, transforming

00:17:08.299 --> 00:17:10.640
the lead of suffering into the gold of consciousness.

00:17:11.180 --> 00:17:13.279
It actually makes the flame of your own awareness

00:17:13.279 --> 00:17:15.920
burn more brightly. Wow, so the pain itself becomes

00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:18.299
fuel for awakening. That's the potential, yes.

00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:20.440
But here's the biggest hurdle, and this is really

00:17:20.440 --> 00:17:23.279
insightful. Okay. If a large part of your existing

00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:26.099
sense of self, your very identity, has become

00:17:26.099 --> 00:17:30.000
unconsciously invested in this unhappy pain body,

00:17:30.460 --> 00:17:32.319
maybe you define yourself as someone who's suffered

00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:34.940
a lot or someone who's always angry, then there

00:17:34.940 --> 00:17:37.480
can be a deep unconscious fear of losing that

00:17:37.480 --> 00:17:40.099
familiar identity, however painful it is. Fear

00:17:40.099 --> 00:17:42.779
of losing who you think you are. Precisely. And

00:17:42.779 --> 00:17:45.279
this fear creates strong resistance to disidentify

00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:48.059
from the pain. But totally assures us, the moment

00:17:48.059 --> 00:17:49.880
you become truly aware that you are attached

00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:52.579
to your pain, or perhaps even deriving a subtle,

00:17:52.680 --> 00:17:55.039
unconscious satisfaction from it. Like feeling

00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:58.180
self -righteous or victimized. Exactly. The moment

00:17:58.180 --> 00:18:00.640
you see that attachment clearly, it's already

00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:03.160
broken. Awareness itself is the great liberator.

00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:06.880
This idea of the pain body and the mind's constant

00:18:06.880 --> 00:18:09.759
activity feeding it, it's incredibly insightful,

00:18:09.960 --> 00:18:12.839
and for many, I imagine, quite a difficult truth

00:18:12.839 --> 00:18:15.140
to really face. It requires honesty and courage,

00:18:15.339 --> 00:18:18.069
definitely. But this also leads us directly to

00:18:18.069 --> 00:18:20.210
what Tully presents as perhaps the biggest illusion

00:18:20.210 --> 00:18:23.529
of all, time itself. How does he break down this

00:18:23.529 --> 00:18:26.369
delusion of time and why is it so fundamental

00:18:26.369 --> 00:18:29.349
to our suffering? The core delusion, the root

00:18:29.349 --> 00:18:32.349
of so much unnecessary suffering, is what Tully

00:18:32.349 --> 00:18:35.069
calls the loss of now. And this loss of now,

00:18:35.069 --> 00:18:37.549
he says, is synonymous with the loss of being.

00:18:37.630 --> 00:18:40.730
that connection to our deeper self. When you

00:18:40.730 --> 00:18:43.109
lose that connection to the yes, and a mere situation,

00:18:43.190 --> 00:18:46.230
an event, or even just an emotion instantly transforms.

00:18:46.349 --> 00:18:48.730
It goes from being something that simply is unfolding

00:18:48.730 --> 00:18:51.430
in the present into a personal problem and a

00:18:51.430 --> 00:18:53.529
source of deep suffering. So the problem isn't

00:18:53.529 --> 00:18:56.250
the situation, but losing the now around it.

00:18:56.470 --> 00:18:59.029
That's the essence of it. He introduces the concept

00:18:59.029 --> 00:19:01.730
of psychological time. This isn't clock time

00:19:01.730 --> 00:19:04.130
which we need for practical purposes Psychological

00:19:04.130 --> 00:19:06.269
time is the pervasive identification with the

00:19:06.269 --> 00:19:09.450
past constantly dwelling on memories regrets

00:19:09.450 --> 00:19:12.529
grievances replaying old stories living in yesterday.

00:19:12.750 --> 00:19:15.849
Yes and simultaneously the compulsive projection

00:19:15.849 --> 00:19:19.009
into the future endless worry planning not just

00:19:19.009 --> 00:19:21.930
practically but obsessively anticipation or holding

00:19:21.930 --> 00:19:24.529
on to the belief that Something better is always

00:19:24.529 --> 00:19:26.849
just around the corner never here now waiting

00:19:26.849 --> 00:19:30.720
for life to start exactly this creates an preoccupation

00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:32.799
a constant mental noise that prevents us from

00:19:32.799 --> 00:19:35.180
honoring and acknowledging the profound reality

00:19:35.180 --> 00:19:38.819
the aliveness of the present moment toll emphasized

00:19:38.819 --> 00:19:40.819
that the past gives us our sense of identity

00:19:40.819 --> 00:19:43.240
this is who I am because of what happened to

00:19:43.240 --> 00:19:45.339
me and the future holds this illusory promise

00:19:45.339 --> 00:19:48.160
of salvation I'll finally be happy when X Y or

00:19:48.160 --> 00:19:52.039
Z occurs but both he insists are ultimately illusions

00:19:52.039 --> 00:19:54.299
when we live in them psychologically illusions

00:19:54.299 --> 00:19:57.400
strong word it is because when you're trapped

00:19:57.400 --> 00:20:00.660
in psychological time Your life loses its vibrancy,

00:20:00.799 --> 00:20:02.980
its freshness, its sense of wonder. Everything

00:20:02.980 --> 00:20:05.160
is filtered through past conditioning or future

00:20:05.160 --> 00:20:08.500
anxiety. The very essence of what Toli is conveying

00:20:08.500 --> 00:20:11.759
about time, he stresses, cannot be grasped by

00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:14.799
the thinking mind alone. It requires a fundamental

00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:17.880
shift in consciousness, from the realm of the

00:20:17.880 --> 00:20:20.680
chattering mind to the quiet, vast reality of

00:20:20.680 --> 00:20:24.339
being, from the perceived linearity of time to

00:20:24.339 --> 00:20:26.839
the felt experience of the timelessness of presence.

00:20:27.200 --> 00:20:30.500
That distinction between objective clock time,

00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:32.240
you know, needing to know when the meeting starts

00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:35.079
and this subjective psychological time makes

00:20:35.079 --> 00:20:37.640
so much sense. It really does feel like we often

00:20:37.640 --> 00:20:40.319
live in a constant mental movie rather than the

00:20:40.319 --> 00:20:42.940
actual unfolding reality right here. Yeah, the

00:20:42.940 --> 00:20:45.099
movie metaphor works well. We're directors and

00:20:45.099 --> 00:20:47.579
actors in a film playing only in our heads. So

00:20:47.579 --> 00:20:49.480
what are the consequences, maybe the collective

00:20:49.480 --> 00:20:51.980
consequences, of this widespread delusion of

00:20:51.980 --> 00:20:53.559
psychological time? He talks about it not just

00:20:53.559 --> 00:20:56.470
individually, right? He does. Tolle highlights

00:20:56.470 --> 00:20:58.950
the collective insanity, as he calls it, that

00:20:58.950 --> 00:21:01.589
is born from psychological time, particularly

00:21:01.589 --> 00:21:04.289
through ideologies or rigid belief systems that

00:21:04.289 --> 00:21:06.930
prioritize a future ideal over present reality.

00:21:07.099 --> 00:21:09.559
Can you give an example? Well, he cites historical

00:21:09.559 --> 00:21:12.400
examples like, say, extreme forms of communism

00:21:12.400 --> 00:21:14.960
or certain extremist religious doctrines. These

00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:17.140
ideologies often sacrifice and sometimes still

00:21:17.140 --> 00:21:20.059
do the present well -being and indeed the very

00:21:20.059 --> 00:21:22.579
lives of countless human beings for the sake

00:21:22.579 --> 00:21:25.940
of a projected future highest good or some idealized

00:21:25.940 --> 00:21:28.279
heaven on Earth. Doing terrible things now for

00:21:28.279 --> 00:21:31.140
a promised future utopia. Precisely. He points

00:21:31.140 --> 00:21:33.700
out the stark reality that millions were often

00:21:33.700 --> 00:21:36.160
murdered or endured immense suffering in the

00:21:36.160 --> 00:21:38.500
name of creating a future paradise, resulting

00:21:38.500 --> 00:21:41.460
only in a present hell, and the chilling illustration

00:21:41.460 --> 00:21:44.019
of how the belief in a future ideal, no matter

00:21:44.019 --> 00:21:47.559
how seemingly noble, can be used to justify horrific,

00:21:47.880 --> 00:21:50.180
inhumane actions in the present moment. That's

00:21:50.180 --> 00:21:52.380
sobering. And on an individual level, he argues

00:21:52.380 --> 00:21:54.700
that all negativity and suffering can ultimately

00:21:54.700 --> 00:21:57.519
be traced back to this accumulation of psychological

00:21:57.519 --> 00:22:00.140
time and the denial or rejection of the present

00:22:00.140 --> 00:22:03.079
moment. All negativity. That's a bold claim.

00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:06.930
It is, but consider it. unease, anxiety, tension,

00:22:07.430 --> 00:22:11.170
stress, chronic worry. These all stem from living

00:22:11.170 --> 00:22:14.829
too much in an imagined, often feared future.

00:22:14.869 --> 00:22:18.549
Makes sense. Conversely, guilt, regret, resentment,

00:22:18.910 --> 00:22:21.289
bitterness, sadness, the inability to forgive.

00:22:21.589 --> 00:22:23.890
These are all rooted in living too much in the

00:22:23.890 --> 00:22:27.000
past, holding on to what was. Right. Stuck in

00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:30.000
yesterday's pain exactly and totally notes that

00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:32.460
most people find it incredibly difficult to truly

00:22:32.460 --> 00:22:35.039
believe that a state of consciousness Completely

00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:37.240
free of all these forms of negativity is even

00:22:37.240 --> 00:22:40.259
possible. It seems like an impossible dream It

00:22:40.259 --> 00:22:42.319
does doesn't it like negativity is just part

00:22:42.319 --> 00:22:44.970
of being human Yet this is precisely the liberated

00:22:44.970 --> 00:22:47.710
state that all profound spiritual teachings across

00:22:47.710 --> 00:22:50.009
different traditions and cultures consistently

00:22:50.009 --> 00:22:52.609
point towards. It's not about being blissfully

00:22:52.609 --> 00:22:55.089
happy all the time in a superficial sense, but

00:22:55.089 --> 00:22:57.170
about being free from the compulsive creation

00:22:57.170 --> 00:22:59.630
of suffering by the mind. OK, so if I'm understanding

00:22:59.630 --> 00:23:01.809
this correctly, the problems we perceive in our

00:23:01.809 --> 00:23:04.529
lives, they're actually rooted in this time bound

00:23:04.529 --> 00:23:06.910
mind, not necessarily inherent in the external

00:23:06.910 --> 00:23:09.779
circumstances themselves. Precisely. That's a

00:23:09.779 --> 00:23:13.059
crucial distinction. Tolle posits that genuine

00:23:13.059 --> 00:23:16.220
problems, as we typically experience them, are

00:23:16.220 --> 00:23:18.720
fundamentally mind -made creations, and they

00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:21.299
need psychological time to survive. They cannot

00:23:21.299 --> 00:23:23.400
exist in the now. They can't exist in the now.

00:23:23.500 --> 00:23:26.559
How so? When you are fully present, truly anchored

00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:29.079
in the now. Now he argues it's impossible to

00:23:29.079 --> 00:23:31.539
actually have a problem. You might have a situation,

00:23:32.200 --> 00:23:34.420
maybe a challenging circumstance, a task that

00:23:34.420 --> 00:23:37.930
needs doing of physical discomfort, but in the

00:23:37.930 --> 00:23:40.700
pure awareness of the Dysosopher. Now it's simply

00:23:40.700 --> 00:23:42.799
a situation something to be dealt with acted

00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:45.279
upon if necessary or perhaps totally accepted

00:23:45.279 --> 00:23:47.460
if nothing can be done right now So what makes

00:23:47.460 --> 00:23:50.119
it a problem then a problem is defined as dwelling

00:23:50.119 --> 00:23:52.740
on a situation mentally usually with negative

00:23:52.740 --> 00:23:55.220
thoughts and emotions without any true intention

00:23:55.220 --> 00:23:57.200
or possibility of taking immediate effective

00:23:57.200 --> 00:24:00.799
action and then crucially unconsciously allowing

00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:03.319
that mental construct that situation plus negative

00:24:03.319 --> 00:24:05.819
reaction to become an integral part of your sense

00:24:05.819 --> 00:24:09.109
of self your identity so I am someone who has

00:24:09.109 --> 00:24:12.130
this problem. Exactly. For example, maybe you

00:24:12.130 --> 00:24:15.309
have a financial challenge. Now that's a situation

00:24:15.309 --> 00:24:17.309
you can potentially address with clear action.

00:24:18.549 --> 00:24:21.009
But if you constantly worry about it, endlessly

00:24:21.009 --> 00:24:23.910
replay past financial mistakes in your head and

00:24:23.910 --> 00:24:26.089
obsess about what terrible things might happen

00:24:26.089 --> 00:24:29.450
in the future, then it becomes a heavy mind -made

00:24:29.450 --> 00:24:31.710
problem that drains your energy and prevents

00:24:31.710 --> 00:24:33.910
clear thinking. It takes on a life of its own.

00:24:34.009 --> 00:24:37.740
It does. So he urges us to die to the past every

00:24:37.740 --> 00:24:40.279
moment, which doesn't mean forgetting it entirely

00:24:40.279 --> 00:24:43.299
but letting go of its psychological weight. Release

00:24:43.299 --> 00:24:46.099
it fully and completely unless it is absolutely

00:24:46.099 --> 00:24:48.279
and practically relevant to the present moment

00:24:48.279 --> 00:24:50.619
for learning something or taking action now.

00:24:50.759 --> 00:24:53.400
Only use it if it helps now. Yes. And instead,

00:24:53.700 --> 00:24:55.900
focus all your attention on the immense power

00:24:55.900 --> 00:24:58.380
and fullness of being that is only available

00:24:58.380 --> 00:25:02.140
in the now. He asks this deceptively simple yet

00:25:02.140 --> 00:25:04.859
profoundly challenging question. What is wrong

00:25:04.859 --> 00:25:07.920
with this moment? Right now, not next week, not

00:25:07.920 --> 00:25:10.559
five minutes ago, this exact moment. He subtly

00:25:10.559 --> 00:25:12.819
suggests that when you strip away all the mental

00:25:12.819 --> 00:25:16.140
labels, the judgments, the stories, there truly

00:25:16.140 --> 00:25:18.319
is nothing inherently wrong with the present

00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:22.299
moment itself. It just is. That takes some contemplation.

00:25:22.359 --> 00:25:25.160
It does. So the fundamental choice for transformation,

00:25:25.319 --> 00:25:27.680
the core decision, is simply to choose to create

00:25:27.680 --> 00:25:31.000
no more pain for yourself. to stop feeding suffering

00:25:31.000 --> 00:25:32.880
through identification with these mind -made

00:25:32.880 --> 00:25:36.140
problems rooted in psychological time. This choice,

00:25:36.480 --> 00:25:38.220
while it sounds radical in its implications,

00:25:38.380 --> 00:25:41.140
is entirely possible, he insists, by consciously

00:25:41.140 --> 00:25:43.779
accessing the power inherent in the now. That's

00:25:43.779 --> 00:25:46.440
a truly profound reframing of our entire experience.

00:25:46.619 --> 00:25:48.480
So, okay, if the mind creates so much of our

00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:50.140
suffering and it's constantly pulling us out

00:25:50.140 --> 00:25:52.819
of the present, how do we actively cultivate

00:25:52.819 --> 00:25:54.920
the state of presence? How do we consciously

00:25:54.920 --> 00:25:57.859
connect with this being in a more sustained way?

00:25:58.079 --> 00:26:00.200
Well, first, let's clarify being. It's described

00:26:00.200 --> 00:26:02.259
as, you know, the eternal, ever -present, one

00:26:02.259 --> 00:26:04.759
life. It's not only beyond all the forms we see,

00:26:04.859 --> 00:26:07.079
but it also resides deep within every form, every

00:26:07.079 --> 00:26:09.900
person, every animal, every plant, as its innermost,

00:26:09.900 --> 00:26:12.460
indestructible essence. The life within the form.

00:26:12.779 --> 00:26:15.559
Exactly. And it's accessible as your own deepest

00:26:15.559 --> 00:26:18.849
self, your true nature. And this is key. It can

00:26:18.849 --> 00:26:22.250
only be felt known directly when the mind is

00:26:22.250 --> 00:26:25.369
relatively still and your attention is intensely

00:26:25.369 --> 00:26:28.470
anchored in the now. It's your invisible and

00:26:28.470 --> 00:26:30.990
indestructible reality. So you can't think your

00:26:30.990 --> 00:26:33.809
way to it. No, you cannot grasp it with your

00:26:33.809 --> 00:26:35.650
intellect or try to understand it logically.

00:26:36.369 --> 00:26:39.319
The mind is the wrong tool for that job. You

00:26:39.319 --> 00:26:42.019
can only know it experientially by abiding in

00:26:42.019 --> 00:26:44.539
that deeply rooted, wordless state of awareness.

00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:47.859
And presence is related to this. Yes. Presence

00:26:47.859 --> 00:26:50.680
is essentially when being becomes conscious of

00:26:50.680 --> 00:26:53.200
itself through you. It's pure consciousness,

00:26:53.680 --> 00:26:56.220
intensely alive, alert, awake, but entirely free

00:26:56.220 --> 00:26:58.279
from the noise of compulsive, involuntary thought.

00:26:58.420 --> 00:27:00.799
So it's not zoning out. Not at all. Quite the

00:27:00.799 --> 00:27:03.079
opposite. When you are truly present, Tully says,

00:27:03.480 --> 00:27:05.299
you are more fully yourself than you ever are

00:27:05.299 --> 00:27:07.559
when lost in thought. You shed the conditioned

00:27:07.559 --> 00:27:09.980
personality, the little me that's rooted in past

00:27:09.980 --> 00:27:12.160
conditioning and future projections. It's not

00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:14.019
a trance -like state. It's a heightened state

00:27:14.019 --> 00:27:16.660
of alertness and awareness. More awake, not less.

00:27:16.960 --> 00:27:20.779
Much more awake. And fascinatingly, he also suggests

00:27:20.779 --> 00:27:23.680
that this state of heightened presence actually

00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:26.619
raises the vibrational frequency of the body's

00:27:26.619 --> 00:27:29.420
energy field. This can contribute to a tangible

00:27:29.420 --> 00:27:32.019
sense of increased physical vitality and well

00:27:32.019 --> 00:27:34.200
-being, a feeling of lightness. Interesting.

00:27:34.539 --> 00:27:36.819
How do we actually practice this then? It sounds

00:27:36.819 --> 00:27:39.160
like something we need to actively engage with,

00:27:39.359 --> 00:27:41.519
not just understand intellectually. How do we

00:27:41.519 --> 00:27:43.880
get to this state of presence and make it a more

00:27:43.880 --> 00:27:46.740
consistent part of our daily lives? The primary

00:27:46.740 --> 00:27:49.210
path. The most fundamental practice Thule offers

00:27:49.210 --> 00:27:51.490
involves what he calls watching the thinker.

00:27:51.670 --> 00:27:53.970
Watching the thinker. Yes. This means learning

00:27:53.970 --> 00:27:56.089
to observe your thoughts as they arise in your

00:27:56.089 --> 00:27:58.869
mind, but doing so without judging them, without

00:27:58.869 --> 00:28:01.329
engaging with them, and crucially without identifying

00:28:01.329 --> 00:28:04.369
with them as you or your thoughts. Just noticing

00:28:04.369 --> 00:28:06.910
them. Like clouds passing in the sky. That's

00:28:06.910 --> 00:28:11.289
a common analogy, yes. This act of detached observation

00:28:11.289 --> 00:28:14.349
suddenly withdraws energy from the mind's compulsive

00:28:14.349 --> 00:28:17.519
activity. It stops feeding the thought machine

00:28:17.519 --> 00:28:20.900
and in doing so it begins to open up this timeless

00:28:20.900 --> 00:28:23.359
dimension within your consciousness When you

00:28:23.359 --> 00:28:25.779
simply observe your mind you realize you are

00:28:25.779 --> 00:28:28.200
no longer trapped in it because there's an observer

00:28:28.200 --> 00:28:31.960
exactly a witnessing presence a deeper awareness

00:28:31.960 --> 00:28:35.900
has come into being and That awareness is presence.

00:28:36.079 --> 00:28:39.430
So it's not about trying to stop thoughts Because

00:28:39.430 --> 00:28:41.490
that feels impossible sometimes. Right. Trying

00:28:41.490 --> 00:28:43.630
to stop thoughts is often just another thought,

00:28:43.690 --> 00:28:45.950
creating more mental effort. It's much simpler,

00:28:46.069 --> 00:28:48.309
though not always easy. It's about stepping back,

00:28:48.589 --> 00:28:50.670
noticing the mental chatter, the stream of judgment,

00:28:51.089 --> 00:28:53.289
the anxieties about tomorrow. The replays of

00:28:53.289 --> 00:28:55.190
yesterday is if it's happening on a screen in

00:28:55.190 --> 00:28:57.710
front of you without getting emotionally entangled

00:28:57.710 --> 00:29:00.470
in the drama. Just noticing. Just noticing. The

00:29:00.470 --> 00:29:02.930
moment you simply observe these thoughts impersonally,

00:29:03.470 --> 00:29:06.930
a subtle but profound shift occurs. You realize,

00:29:07.690 --> 00:29:10.200
ah. I am the awareness that is observing the

00:29:10.200 --> 00:29:13.900
thought. I am not the thought itself. This simple

00:29:13.900 --> 00:29:16.880
act creates a small gap, a moment of stillness

00:29:16.880 --> 00:29:19.859
between thoughts. And that gap, however brief,

00:29:20.119 --> 00:29:22.420
is your entry point to presence. Find the gaps.

00:29:22.619 --> 00:29:25.119
Find the gaps. Or create them through conscious

00:29:25.119 --> 00:29:28.059
attention. Another very practical way is to direct

00:29:28.059 --> 00:29:30.720
your attention fully into the now through routine

00:29:30.720 --> 00:29:33.559
everyday activities. Transform them from mundane

00:29:33.559 --> 00:29:35.900
chores you rush through into an end in themselves.

00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:38.920
Like washing dishes. Exactly, or walking upstairs.

00:29:39.559 --> 00:29:41.920
Pay exquisite attention to every single step,

00:29:42.119 --> 00:29:44.339
the movement of your body, your breathing, or

00:29:44.339 --> 00:29:46.660
truly feel the sensations of the warm water and

00:29:46.660 --> 00:29:48.599
soap on your hands when washing them without

00:29:48.599 --> 00:29:51.299
your mind wandering off. This deep immersion

00:29:51.299 --> 00:29:53.440
in simple acts, being fully present with a sensory

00:29:53.440 --> 00:29:55.779
experience, is the essence of what many traditions

00:29:55.779 --> 00:29:58.460
call mindfulness, or meditation in action. Being

00:29:58.460 --> 00:30:01.559
present with the small things. Yes. And Tola

00:30:01.559 --> 00:30:04.859
emphasizes that one profound experience of presence,

00:30:05.440 --> 00:30:08.180
while valuable, isn't usually enough for a permanent

00:30:08.180 --> 00:30:10.900
shift. It requires choosing to be present more

00:30:10.900 --> 00:30:13.500
and more often, deliberately bringing awareness

00:30:13.500 --> 00:30:16.539
into your daily life, making it an ongoing practice,

00:30:16.680 --> 00:30:18.960
not just a one -off event you hope for. That's

00:30:18.960 --> 00:30:21.660
a practical and accessible starting point, watching

00:30:21.660 --> 00:30:24.420
the thinker, being present in daily activities.

00:30:25.259 --> 00:30:28.180
Tolle also introduces this fascinating idea of

00:30:28.180 --> 00:30:30.960
portals to the unmanifested. That sounds quite

00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:33.039
mystical. What are these doorways and how do

00:30:33.039 --> 00:30:35.259
they help us connect with this deeper formless

00:30:35.259 --> 00:30:38.440
dimension? It might sound mystical, but the unmanifest

00:30:38.440 --> 00:30:40.859
it isn't presented as some distant, otherworldly

00:30:40.859 --> 00:30:43.680
realm. Tolle describes it simply as the formless,

00:30:43.779 --> 00:30:46.160
invisible source of all things. It's the pure

00:30:46.160 --> 00:30:48.039
potential, the underlying consciousness that

00:30:48.039 --> 00:30:50.779
enables everything manifested in our world, everything

00:30:50.779 --> 00:30:53.400
we can see, touch, and experience. Like the space

00:30:53.400 --> 00:30:55.460
everything exists in. That's a good way to think

00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:58.119
of it. Like the silent canvas on which all of

00:30:58.119 --> 00:31:00.960
life's experiences are painted. It's the no -thing

00:31:00.960 --> 00:31:04.269
that enables everything to be. The material identifies

00:31:04.269 --> 00:31:07.769
several portals or doorways we can use to consciously

00:31:07.769 --> 00:31:12.109
access this unmanifested dimension. And, as we've

00:31:12.109 --> 00:31:15.150
discussed, the now is considered the main essential

00:31:15.150 --> 00:31:17.710
portal. All other portals basically lead you

00:31:17.710 --> 00:31:21.490
into the now. Okay. What's one of these key portals?

00:31:21.670 --> 00:31:24.109
A very direct and powerful one is the inner body.

00:31:24.609 --> 00:31:26.619
This isn't about thinking about your body or

00:31:26.619 --> 00:31:28.319
looking at it from the outside. It's about truly

00:31:28.319 --> 00:31:30.720
inhabiting it from within. Feeling it from the

00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:33.059
inside out. Exactly. It means directing your

00:31:33.059 --> 00:31:35.099
attention into your body, feeling its subtle

00:31:35.099 --> 00:31:37.500
inner energy field. You start by feeling the

00:31:37.500 --> 00:31:40.079
subtle aliveness, maybe a tingling, a warmth,

00:31:40.579 --> 00:31:42.720
or just a sense of vibrancy in specific parts,

00:31:42.880 --> 00:31:45.109
like your hands or feet. Then you expand that

00:31:45.109 --> 00:31:47.250
awareness to feel your arms, legs, abdomen, chest,

00:31:47.410 --> 00:31:49.849
head, eventually feeling the entire inner body

00:31:49.849 --> 00:31:52.730
simultaneously as a single unified field of energy.

00:31:52.829 --> 00:31:55.470
That sounds very grounding. It's incredibly grounding.

00:31:56.190 --> 00:31:58.410
This practice anchors you powerfully in the now.

00:31:58.990 --> 00:32:01.049
It prevents your mind from scattering into past

00:32:01.049 --> 00:32:03.869
or future, or getting loft in external distractions

00:32:03.869 --> 00:32:07.079
or obsessive thinking. Toli describes feeling

00:32:07.079 --> 00:32:09.900
the inner body as the most direct doorway into

00:32:09.900 --> 00:32:12.339
being. And there are other benefits, too. Yes.

00:32:12.579 --> 00:32:14.460
He suggests that the more conscious attention

00:32:14.460 --> 00:32:17.000
you direct into your inner body, the higher its

00:32:17.000 --> 00:32:19.339
vibrational frequency becomes. This apparently

00:32:19.339 --> 00:32:21.619
makes you less susceptible to the draining effects

00:32:21.619 --> 00:32:24.140
of negative thought forms, strengthens your physical

00:32:24.140 --> 00:32:27.240
immune system, and even, he claims, can slow

00:32:27.240 --> 00:32:29.960
down the biological aging process. It's a very

00:32:29.960 --> 00:32:32.680
practical, empowering practice you can do anytime,

00:32:33.119 --> 00:32:36.140
anywhere. So feeling our body from within, that

00:32:36.140 --> 00:32:38.880
can lead to deeper awareness and maybe even physical

00:32:38.880 --> 00:32:41.119
benefits. That's quite something. What are some

00:32:41.119 --> 00:32:43.440
of the other portals he mentions? Another vital

00:32:43.440 --> 00:32:46.480
portal is simply the cessation of thinking. This

00:32:46.480 --> 00:32:49.140
means consciously creating gaps in that otherwise

00:32:49.140 --> 00:32:51.680
incessant mind stream. How do we do that consciously?

00:32:51.960 --> 00:32:54.059
Well, practices like conscious breathing, which

00:32:54.059 --> 00:32:56.559
we touched on simply focusing your attention

00:32:56.559 --> 00:32:58.740
entirely on the physical sensation of your breath

00:32:58.740 --> 00:33:01.259
flowing in and out, perhaps feeling it in your

00:33:01.259 --> 00:33:04.099
abdomen rise and fall or intensely looking at

00:33:04.099 --> 00:33:07.059
a flower, really seeing its details, its aliveness

00:33:07.059 --> 00:33:10.599
without any mental commentary or labeling. Oh,

00:33:10.660 --> 00:33:13.119
that's where he rose or truly listening to music

00:33:13.119 --> 00:33:15.799
without analyzing it. These are all ways to bring

00:33:15.799 --> 00:33:18.819
about moments of no thought. This essentially

00:33:18.819 --> 00:33:21.650
is the core of formal meditation. When you are

00:33:21.650 --> 00:33:23.730
intensely present with something non -conceptual,

00:33:24.130 --> 00:33:26.829
the compulsive mind activity naturally subsides,

00:33:26.990 --> 00:33:29.150
even if only for a few seconds at first. Finding

00:33:29.150 --> 00:33:31.970
moments of mental silence. Precisely. Then there's

00:33:31.970 --> 00:33:34.369
silence itself as a portal. This invites you

00:33:34.369 --> 00:33:36.509
to pay attention not just to sounds, but to the

00:33:36.509 --> 00:33:38.890
silence out of which all sounds arise, and into

00:33:38.890 --> 00:33:41.230
which they eventually return. You listen for

00:33:41.230 --> 00:33:43.210
the silence that surrounds and permeates all

00:33:43.210 --> 00:33:46.009
sounds. The space between the sounds. Yes, and

00:33:46.009 --> 00:33:48.569
the silence underneath them. Silence without,

00:33:48.569 --> 00:33:51.450
he says, cultivates stillness within. Every sound

00:33:51.450 --> 00:33:53.769
is born out of silence and returns to silence.

00:33:54.549 --> 00:33:56.349
Silence is what enables the sound to be perceived

00:33:56.349 --> 00:33:59.029
at all. By consciously listening for the silence,

00:33:59.470 --> 00:34:01.549
even noticing the brief pauses between words

00:34:01.549 --> 00:34:04.650
in a conversation, you cultivate an inner stillness,

00:34:05.009 --> 00:34:07.390
an awareness of the unmanifested. That's a shift

00:34:07.390 --> 00:34:10.789
in focus. Listening for silence, not sound. Exactly.

00:34:11.329 --> 00:34:14.010
And similarly, space is presented as a profound

00:34:14.010 --> 00:34:16.980
portal. Tolle points out that just as no sound

00:34:16.980 --> 00:34:19.420
can exist without silence, nothing manifested

00:34:19.420 --> 00:34:21.920
can exist without noting the empty space that

00:34:21.920 --> 00:34:24.099
enables it to be. Like the space in this room?

00:34:24.260 --> 00:34:26.519
Yes, the empty space in a room, the gaps between

00:34:26.519 --> 00:34:28.860
objects, or contemplate the sheer vastness of

00:34:28.860 --> 00:34:31.400
space in the cosmos. This can lead to an awareness

00:34:31.400 --> 00:34:33.820
of no mind, of the underlying emptiness that

00:34:33.820 --> 00:34:36.480
is the source of all form. He even mentions physics,

00:34:36.820 --> 00:34:38.860
noting that seemingly solid matter is actually

00:34:38.860 --> 00:34:41.159
almost entirely empty space at the subatomic

00:34:41.159 --> 00:34:43.719
level. Contemplating this nothingness not as

00:34:43.719 --> 00:34:46.199
a void, but as a living presence, a field of

00:34:46.199 --> 00:34:48.840
potential opens this profound portal. Seeing

00:34:48.840 --> 00:34:51.619
the space, not just the objects. Seeing the space

00:34:51.619 --> 00:34:54.519
as the potential for objects. And finally, perhaps

00:34:54.519 --> 00:34:56.940
the most challenging, but also most transformative

00:34:56.940 --> 00:35:00.659
portal, is surrender. Surrender. That sounds

00:35:00.659 --> 00:35:03.440
passive. It can sound that way, but totally defines

00:35:03.440 --> 00:35:06.409
it very specifically. It means letting go of

00:35:06.409 --> 00:35:09.050
all inner, mental, emotional resistance to what

00:35:09.050 --> 00:35:11.949
is in the present moment. It's not about resignation

00:35:11.949 --> 00:35:15.050
or giving up on action. It's an active, internal

00:35:15.050 --> 00:35:17.289
yes to the reality of this moment, exactly as

00:35:17.289 --> 00:35:19.289
it is, even if you don't like it. Accepting what

00:35:19.289 --> 00:35:22.329
is, internally. Yes. Because when you resist

00:35:22.329 --> 00:35:25.030
what is, this shouldn't be happening. You create

00:35:25.030 --> 00:35:27.170
inner conflict. You cut yourself off from others,

00:35:27.250 --> 00:35:29.309
from your true self and from the natural flow

00:35:29.309 --> 00:35:32.090
of life itself. Resistance strengthens the ego

00:35:32.090 --> 00:35:34.590
sense of separateness and feeds suffering. In

00:35:34.590 --> 00:35:37.289
surrender, your form identity, the egoic self,

00:35:37.550 --> 00:35:39.909
softens, becomes more transparent, allowing the

00:35:39.909 --> 00:35:43.090
unmanifested, your true being, peace, stillness

00:35:43.090 --> 00:35:45.550
to shine through. It's an act of deep wisdom

00:35:45.550 --> 00:35:48.349
and trust in life. These portals, they sound

00:35:48.349 --> 00:35:50.010
like different pathways, different techniques

00:35:50.010 --> 00:35:52.550
maybe, to get to the same profound state of presence,

00:35:52.730 --> 00:35:54.869
of connecting with that deeper reality. That's

00:35:54.869 --> 00:35:56.630
a good way to see it. Different doorways into

00:35:56.630 --> 00:36:00.289
the same room, the room of the now. So, given

00:36:00.289 --> 00:36:02.329
these profound shifts in perception and being,

00:36:02.559 --> 00:36:06.019
Where does something as fundamental to human

00:36:06.019 --> 00:36:09.320
experience as love fit into this framework? Is

00:36:09.320 --> 00:36:12.300
love also considered one of these portals? Interestingly,

00:36:12.619 --> 00:36:15.480
no. Tolle clarifies that love is not a portal

00:36:15.480 --> 00:36:18.039
in itself, but rather what comes through the

00:36:18.039 --> 00:36:20.500
portal. Ah, okay, so it's a result of being present.

00:36:20.739 --> 00:36:23.920
Yes. As soon as one of these portals to the unmanifested

00:36:23.920 --> 00:36:26.679
presence, inner body awareness, surrender is

00:36:26.679 --> 00:36:29.679
open within you, love is naturally present. It's

00:36:29.679 --> 00:36:32.079
not necessarily as an intense emotion, but as

00:36:32.079 --> 00:36:35.280
the deep feeling realization of oneness. It's

00:36:35.280 --> 00:36:38.059
a state of being, a profound recognition of the

00:36:38.059 --> 00:36:40.619
interconnectedness of all life flowing from that

00:36:40.619 --> 00:36:42.219
connection to being. So it's different from the

00:36:42.219 --> 00:36:45.980
love we normally talk about. Often, yes. He explains

00:36:45.980 --> 00:36:48.480
that true, lasting, unconditional love cannot

00:36:48.480 --> 00:36:51.320
genuinely flourish unless one becomes relatively

00:36:51.320 --> 00:36:54.000
free from mind identification and one's presence

00:36:54.000 --> 00:36:56.000
is intense enough to dissolve the grip of the

00:36:56.000 --> 00:36:58.960
pain body. This is a critical and often difficult

00:36:58.960 --> 00:37:01.559
insight because most relationships that people

00:37:01.559 --> 00:37:04.340
call love relationships are, in truth, deeply

00:37:04.340 --> 00:37:07.099
rooted in egoic needs. Egoic needs? Like what?

00:37:07.340 --> 00:37:09.780
Like an unconscious addiction to another person,

00:37:10.139 --> 00:37:12.820
a need for validation, a way to avoid facing

00:37:12.820 --> 00:37:16.039
oneself, or a pervasive fear of being alone or

00:37:16.039 --> 00:37:18.400
losing the other person. These relationships

00:37:18.400 --> 00:37:20.980
often oscillate wildly between periods of intense

00:37:20.980 --> 00:37:23.539
pleasure or excitement and equally intense pain

00:37:23.539 --> 00:37:26.940
conflict drama. jealousy. The love -hate dynamic.

00:37:27.219 --> 00:37:29.719
Exactly. This happens because people often confuse

00:37:29.719 --> 00:37:32.639
egoic attachment, clinging, neediness, and codependency

00:37:32.639 --> 00:37:35.639
with genuine love. True love, Toley suggests,

00:37:35.980 --> 00:37:38.739
has no opposite. If your love has an opposite,

00:37:38.920 --> 00:37:40.780
like hatred, intense jealousy, possessiveness,

00:37:41.079 --> 00:37:42.519
resentment, then it wasn't true love in the first

00:37:42.519 --> 00:37:45.179
place. It was an egoic need, an attempt to use

00:37:45.179 --> 00:37:47.440
the other person, consciously or unconsciously,

00:37:47.699 --> 00:37:50.400
to cover up your own internal pain, fear, or

00:37:50.400 --> 00:37:53.420
sense of incompleteness. That's a powerful, perhaps

00:37:53.420 --> 00:37:56.500
confronting distinction, separating genuine love,

00:37:57.099 --> 00:38:00.260
this realization of oneness from egoic attachment

00:38:00.260 --> 00:38:03.139
and need. It really challenges conventional notions

00:38:03.139 --> 00:38:06.199
of romance. It does. So if that's the case, then

00:38:06.199 --> 00:38:08.820
relationships, rather than being solely about

00:38:08.820 --> 00:38:10.880
finding someone to complete us or make us happy,

00:38:11.420 --> 00:38:13.920
they actually become a profound reflection of

00:38:13.920 --> 00:38:16.400
our own inner state and maybe even a spiritual

00:38:16.400 --> 00:38:18.820
practice in themselves. Precisely. That's the

00:38:18.820 --> 00:38:21.019
potential. Relationships have this incredible

00:38:21.019 --> 00:38:24.300
power to become your most potent spiritual practice,

00:38:24.679 --> 00:38:26.940
or sadhana, as it's called in some traditions.

00:38:27.239 --> 00:38:29.860
How does that work in practice? It involves consciously

00:38:29.860 --> 00:38:32.539
observing your own inner state when you're interacting

00:38:32.539 --> 00:38:34.960
with a partner, or even just thinking about them,

00:38:35.199 --> 00:38:37.380
noticing the subtle, or not so subtle, emergence

00:38:37.380 --> 00:38:40.139
of anger, irritation, jealousy, defensiveness,

00:38:40.559 --> 00:38:43.300
the urge to control the need to be right, any

00:38:43.300 --> 00:38:45.380
form of inner resistance, but observing it without

00:38:45.380 --> 00:38:47.960
judgment. Or seeing it arise. Just seeing it

00:38:47.960 --> 00:38:51.139
arise in yourself, this non -judgmental observation

00:38:51.139 --> 00:38:53.900
brings these unconscious patterns, often fueled

00:38:53.900 --> 00:38:56.619
by the pain body, into the light of your awareness.

00:38:57.079 --> 00:38:59.340
And awareness itself begins to disempower them.

00:38:59.760 --> 00:39:02.079
Tolle suggests that the complete acceptance of

00:39:02.079 --> 00:39:04.980
a partner as he or she is, right now, without

00:39:04.980 --> 00:39:07.400
any inner need to judge them, criticize them,

00:39:07.599 --> 00:39:09.239
or try to change them into who you think they

00:39:09.239 --> 00:39:11.889
should be. That is the single greatest catalyst

00:39:11.889 --> 00:39:14.329
for genuine transformation in a relationship.

00:39:14.690 --> 00:39:16.429
And it's also essential for moving beyond your

00:39:16.429 --> 00:39:19.469
own ego's constant machinations. Radical acceptance

00:39:19.469 --> 00:39:21.809
of the other person. Radical acceptance. In that

00:39:21.809 --> 00:39:24.309
state, he says, all the mind games, the manipulation,

00:39:24.510 --> 00:39:26.969
the blaming, they just cease. And the addictive

00:39:26.969 --> 00:39:29.650
clinging and neediness, which often masquerade

00:39:29.650 --> 00:39:33.219
as love, start to dissolve. If both partners

00:39:33.219 --> 00:39:35.679
agree to enter this space of radical acceptance,

00:39:36.139 --> 00:39:37.920
they can then express their thoughts and feelings

00:39:37.920 --> 00:39:41.139
honestly, but without blame or accusation, listening

00:39:41.139 --> 00:39:43.880
to each other openly. This creates a vast still

00:39:43.880 --> 00:39:45.960
space between them where true connection, true

00:39:45.960 --> 00:39:48.480
intimacy based on being, can actually emerge.

00:39:48.659 --> 00:39:50.679
That sounds ideal, but what if only one person

00:39:50.679 --> 00:39:54.000
is doing this? Ah, yes. He acknowledges that

00:39:54.000 --> 00:39:56.559
if one partner becomes dumpily rooted in presence,

00:39:57.099 --> 00:39:59.199
really practices acceptance and non -reaction.

00:39:59.369 --> 00:40:01.829
and the other partner is still strongly mind

00:40:01.829 --> 00:40:04.809
-identified, still run by their ego and pain

00:40:04.809 --> 00:40:07.789
body, this dynamic can become a major challenge,

00:40:08.389 --> 00:40:10.429
primarily for the unenlightened partner. Why

00:40:10.429 --> 00:40:13.070
for them? Because their fixed positions, their

00:40:13.070 --> 00:40:15.230
egoic patterns, their demands, their dramas.

00:40:15.940 --> 00:40:18.539
They are not being met with the usual resistance

00:40:18.539 --> 00:40:20.500
or reaction from the conscious partner. There's

00:40:20.500 --> 00:40:23.260
nothing for the ego to push against. This lack

00:40:23.260 --> 00:40:25.300
of resistance can make those egoic structures

00:40:25.300 --> 00:40:28.760
feel shaky, unstable. It can be deeply uncomfortable,

00:40:29.000 --> 00:40:31.760
even infuriating for the ego. And eventually,

00:40:31.860 --> 00:40:34.420
Tolle suggests, this can sometimes lead to the

00:40:34.420 --> 00:40:36.960
collapse of those rigid egoic patterns, potentially

00:40:36.960 --> 00:40:39.219
forcing a deeper awakening in that partner too.

00:40:39.519 --> 00:40:42.119
Or, admittedly, the relationship might end if

00:40:42.119 --> 00:40:44.519
the gap in consciousness becomes too wide. That's

00:40:44.519 --> 00:40:47.619
a truly profound and clearly potentially challenging

00:40:47.619 --> 00:40:50.719
transformation for any relationship. Very different

00:40:50.719 --> 00:40:52.519
from fixing the other person. Completely different.

00:40:52.599 --> 00:40:54.579
It starts within. And what about compassion?

00:40:55.019 --> 00:40:56.960
How does compassion connect to this state of

00:40:56.960 --> 00:40:58.940
awakened being and how we interact not just with

00:40:58.940 --> 00:41:01.780
partners, but with all of life? True compassion.

00:41:02.059 --> 00:41:05.159
in Tolla's framework isn't just pity or sympathy.

00:41:05.659 --> 00:41:09.719
It's introduced as a deep felt awareness of an

00:41:09.719 --> 00:41:11.980
inherent bond you share with all creatures, not

00:41:11.980 --> 00:41:15.079
just other humans, all of life. A bond based

00:41:15.079 --> 00:41:17.780
on what? It's rooted in two fundamental recognitions.

00:41:17.920 --> 00:41:21.579
First, our shared mortality. The inherent vulnerability

00:41:21.579 --> 00:41:24.079
and transience of all physical forms. The fact

00:41:24.079 --> 00:41:26.239
that everything arises, exists for a while, and

00:41:26.239 --> 00:41:29.019
then subsides. The inevitable return to dust.

00:41:29.190 --> 00:41:31.469
as it were. Acknowledging impermanence. Yes.

00:41:31.510 --> 00:41:34.090
Yeah. And second, and perhaps more profoundly,

00:41:34.590 --> 00:41:37.289
our shared immortality recognizing the eternal

00:41:37.289 --> 00:41:39.929
being, the one consciousness, the formless life

00:41:39.929 --> 00:41:42.090
that underlies and pervades all these temporary

00:41:42.090 --> 00:41:44.590
forms, seeing the timeless and the temporary.

00:41:44.670 --> 00:41:47.829
OK. So compassion in this deeper sense is a state

00:41:47.829 --> 00:41:49.849
where the natural sadness that might arise from

00:41:49.849 --> 00:41:52.369
recognizing the transient nature of form merges

00:41:52.369 --> 00:41:55.460
with the profound joy of being. the peace and

00:41:55.460 --> 00:41:57.179
aliveness that comes from connecting with the

00:41:57.179 --> 00:41:59.199
eternal dimension that exists beyond all forms.

00:41:59.579 --> 00:42:01.849
Sadness and joy together. Yes, a simultaneous

00:42:01.849 --> 00:42:04.429
recognition of both the fragility of form and

00:42:04.429 --> 00:42:06.909
the instructability of essence. And this merging,

00:42:07.090 --> 00:42:09.070
this compassionate awareness, holds immense healing

00:42:09.070 --> 00:42:11.349
and transformative power. It's about looking

00:42:11.349 --> 00:42:13.849
beyond the superficial veil of form, beyond the

00:42:13.849 --> 00:42:16.409
personality, the history, the temporary manifestation

00:42:16.409 --> 00:42:18.929
of another person or creature, and truly feeling

00:42:18.929 --> 00:42:21.809
their radiant, eternal being through your own

00:42:21.809 --> 00:42:24.309
connection to being. Seeing the essence beneath

00:42:24.309 --> 00:42:26.650
the appearance. Exactly. This awareness allows

00:42:26.650 --> 00:42:29.349
you to recognize that suffering, while undeniably

00:42:29.349 --> 00:42:31.909
real and painful, on the level of form and ego

00:42:31.909 --> 00:42:34.630
is ultimately from the perspective of timeless

00:42:34.630 --> 00:42:37.590
being, a product of identification with that

00:42:37.590 --> 00:42:41.389
limited form. It's rooted in illusion. This deep

00:42:41.389 --> 00:42:43.449
connection, this felt recognition of oneness

00:42:43.449 --> 00:42:46.110
with all life becomes a powerful force for healing

00:42:46.110 --> 00:42:48.610
and transforming the world around you, not by

00:42:48.610 --> 00:42:50.469
fighting against darkness or negativity, but

00:42:50.469 --> 00:42:52.190
simply by bringing in the light of conscious

00:42:52.190 --> 00:42:55.239
presence, acceptance, and compassion. Wow. We've

00:42:55.239 --> 00:42:57.559
certainly covered a vast landscape of incredibly

00:42:57.559 --> 00:43:00.539
profound ideas here. From redefining enlightenment,

00:43:00.820 --> 00:43:02.800
to understanding the illusion of time, the pain

00:43:02.800 --> 00:43:05.599
body, and the absolute power of presence, it's

00:43:05.599 --> 00:43:08.639
a lot to take in. It really is deep waters. Definitely.

00:43:09.179 --> 00:43:11.780
So let's try to distill some really practical

00:43:11.780 --> 00:43:13.980
applications now, some rapid fire insights that

00:43:13.980 --> 00:43:16.539
you listening can maybe start integrating immediately

00:43:16.539 --> 00:43:19.539
into your everyday lives. What are some tangible

00:43:19.539 --> 00:43:22.000
real world ways we can begin to cultivate this

00:43:22.000 --> 00:43:24.980
presence and awareness starting right now? Okay,

00:43:25.280 --> 00:43:27.300
practical tools. Let's start with simple self

00:43:27.300 --> 00:43:30.860
observation a truly easy yet powerful practice

00:43:30.860 --> 00:43:32.599
It's just to regularly pause throughout your

00:43:32.599 --> 00:43:35.639
day and ask yourself internally Am I at ease

00:43:35.639 --> 00:43:38.320
at this moment or maybe what's going on inside

00:43:38.320 --> 00:43:40.260
me right now? Just checking just checking it

00:43:40.260 --> 00:43:41.920
and then simply observe whatever thoughts and

00:43:41.920 --> 00:43:43.780
emotions are present But without judging them

00:43:43.780 --> 00:43:46.139
without analyzing them without getting entangled

00:43:46.139 --> 00:43:48.139
in their stories Just watch them flow by like

00:43:48.139 --> 00:43:51.380
noticing clouds drift across the sky witnessing

00:43:51.380 --> 00:43:54.809
not judging So it's about becoming that neutral

00:43:54.809 --> 00:43:57.829
observer of our own inner state. What else can

00:43:57.829 --> 00:44:00.190
we do, especially maybe when we feel disconnected

00:44:00.190 --> 00:44:03.590
or lost in thought? Body awareness is incredibly

00:44:03.590 --> 00:44:06.989
effective for grounding. Make it a habit to continuously

00:44:06.989 --> 00:44:09.869
feel the inner energy field of your body whenever

00:44:09.869 --> 00:44:13.309
you remember. When your mind isn't actively engaged

00:44:13.309 --> 00:44:16.289
in a specific task, just take a moment to flood

00:44:16.289 --> 00:44:19.230
your body with consciousness. Gently focus on

00:44:19.230 --> 00:44:22.210
different parts. Feel the aliveness in your hands,

00:44:22.590 --> 00:44:25.230
then your feet, maybe your chest. Feel that subtle

00:44:25.230 --> 00:44:28.489
tingling or warmth. Gradually expand it to feel

00:44:28.489 --> 00:44:31.250
the whole inner body as a single field of energy.

00:44:31.329 --> 00:44:33.670
Bringing attention inside the skin. Exactly.

00:44:33.789 --> 00:44:35.530
This immediately anchors you in the Canada County.

00:44:36.190 --> 00:44:38.030
Now pulls your attention out of the abstract

00:44:38.030 --> 00:44:40.710
world of thought and into direct sensory reality.

00:44:40.829 --> 00:44:43.389
And what if the mind is still very active, maybe

00:44:43.389 --> 00:44:45.889
buzzing with worries or anxieties? What's a direct

00:44:45.889 --> 00:44:48.269
route to finding some stillness then? For an

00:44:48.269 --> 00:44:50.050
overactive mind, conscious breathing is often

00:44:50.050 --> 00:44:53.090
the most direct portal back to presence. Simply

00:44:53.090 --> 00:44:56.150
focus all your attention on the physical sensation

00:44:56.150 --> 00:44:59.170
of your breath flowing in and out. Feel the air

00:44:59.170 --> 00:45:01.710
entering your body. Feel your abdomen gently

00:45:01.710 --> 00:45:04.849
rise and fall. Don't try to control or change

00:45:04.849 --> 00:45:07.090
the breath. Just observe its natural rhythm.

00:45:07.769 --> 00:45:10.409
This seemingly simple practice can gradually

00:45:10.409 --> 00:45:12.929
quiet the mind, put you back in touch with your

00:45:12.929 --> 00:45:16.010
inner body, and create those crucial gaps in

00:45:16.010 --> 00:45:18.210
the incessant thought stream. Just focusing on

00:45:18.210 --> 00:45:21.630
the breath. Simple but powerful. Very. Now, how

00:45:21.630 --> 00:45:23.869
does this apply when we actually need to think?

00:45:24.030 --> 00:45:26.230
You know, for problem solving, planning, being

00:45:26.230 --> 00:45:28.489
creative, we can't just stop thinking entirely

00:45:28.489 --> 00:45:31.010
all the time, can we? No, absolutely not. The

00:45:31.010 --> 00:45:33.210
goal isn't to eliminate thought, but to end the

00:45:33.210 --> 00:45:35.849
compulsive, unconscious thinking. You use your

00:45:35.849 --> 00:45:38.789
mind, but in a creative and conscious way. Tola

00:45:38.789 --> 00:45:40.869
suggests that when an answer, a solution, or

00:45:40.869 --> 00:45:43.309
a creative idea is needed, you practice stopping

00:45:43.309 --> 00:45:45.369
thinking altogether for a brief moment first,

00:45:45.590 --> 00:45:48.170
by focusing fully on your inner energy field,

00:45:48.469 --> 00:45:51.210
or your breath, becoming aware of the stillness

00:45:51.210 --> 00:45:54.619
within. even just for a few seconds. Then, when

00:45:54.619 --> 00:45:57.119
you resume thinking, you'll often find it fresher,

00:45:57.340 --> 00:46:00.059
more insightful, less reactive, and genuinely

00:46:00.059 --> 00:46:02.920
more creative, because it's arising from that

00:46:02.920 --> 00:46:05.739
space of stillness, not just recycling old patterns.

00:46:06.679 --> 00:46:08.599
He even suggests you can learn to think with

00:46:08.599 --> 00:46:11.199
your whole body, oscillating fluidly between

00:46:11.199 --> 00:46:13.480
focused thought and that background awareness

00:46:13.480 --> 00:46:16.260
of inner stillness. The thinking then becomes

00:46:16.260 --> 00:46:19.920
much more effective, much less compulsive. Thinking

00:46:19.920 --> 00:46:23.179
from Stillness Interesting concept and what about

00:46:23.179 --> 00:46:25.079
in our interactions with other people especially,

00:46:25.239 --> 00:46:26.860
you know in today's world where everyone seems

00:46:26.860 --> 00:46:29.139
to be Multitasking or mentally somewhere else

00:46:29.139 --> 00:46:31.380
even when they're physically present That's where

00:46:31.380 --> 00:46:33.980
practicing the art of listening comes in true

00:46:33.980 --> 00:46:36.019
listening Not just hearing words while formulating

00:46:36.019 --> 00:46:38.440
your reply but listening with your whole body

00:46:38.440 --> 00:46:40.960
listening with the body Yes, feeling your own

00:46:40.960 --> 00:46:44.000
inner energy feel your own presence as you listen

00:46:44.000 --> 00:46:46.699
to the other person This practice naturally takes

00:46:46.699 --> 00:46:49.340
your attention away from your own internal mental

00:46:49.340 --> 00:46:52.340
commentary, your judgments, your preplanned responses.

00:46:52.960 --> 00:46:56.119
It creates a still open space within you that

00:46:56.119 --> 00:46:58.940
allows you to truly hear the other person, perhaps

00:46:58.940 --> 00:47:01.159
even sensing what's being said beneath the words

00:47:01.159 --> 00:47:03.519
without the distorting filter of your own mind's

00:47:03.519 --> 00:47:05.880
interference. You're essentially giving the other

00:47:05.880 --> 00:47:09.320
person space, the space to simply be. And Tolle

00:47:09.320 --> 00:47:11.320
argues that's arguably the most precious gift

00:47:11.320 --> 00:47:13.500
you can offer anyone. Giving presence as a gift,

00:47:13.559 --> 00:47:16.179
I like that. Now, I often find myself, like many

00:47:16.179 --> 00:47:18.400
people, waiting, waiting in queues, stuck in

00:47:18.400 --> 00:47:21.000
traffic, just idling between tasks. Can those

00:47:21.000 --> 00:47:23.260
often frustrating moments actually be used for

00:47:23.260 --> 00:47:25.820
this practice? Oh, absolutely. Tolley specifically

00:47:25.820 --> 00:47:29.019
highlights this. Transform those moments of waiting

00:47:29.019 --> 00:47:31.900
into presence practice. Instead of succumbing

00:47:31.900 --> 00:47:34.300
to the usual restlessness, impatience, mental

00:47:34.300 --> 00:47:36.960
complaining, or boredom, consciously use these

00:47:36.960 --> 00:47:40.309
opportunities to go deeper into the now. Focus

00:47:40.309 --> 00:47:43.050
on your inner body. Feel your breath. Observe

00:47:43.050 --> 00:47:45.929
your surroundings without judgment. This simple

00:47:45.929 --> 00:47:48.949
shift changes your entire state from one of denying

00:47:48.949 --> 00:47:51.769
or resisting the present moment to actively embracing

00:47:51.769 --> 00:47:54.650
it, inhabiting it fully. So waiting becomes an

00:47:54.650 --> 00:47:57.489
opportunity, not an annoyance. Exactly. His counsel

00:47:57.489 --> 00:48:00.130
is quite direct. When you catch yourself slipping

00:48:00.130 --> 00:48:02.789
into waiting, snap out of it. Come into the present

00:48:02.789 --> 00:48:06.590
moment. Just be and enjoy being. Even waiting

00:48:06.590 --> 00:48:08.510
can be peaceful if you're fully present with

00:48:08.510 --> 00:48:10.340
it. Those are all really tangible practices,

00:48:10.539 --> 00:48:12.760
thank you. What about some of the common emotional

00:48:12.760 --> 00:48:15.000
challenges we all face? Things like complaining

00:48:15.000 --> 00:48:17.860
or constant fear and worry. How does this framework

00:48:17.860 --> 00:48:20.460
help us address those directly? Okay, let's take

00:48:20.460 --> 00:48:23.219
complaining first. Make a conscious effort. A

00:48:23.219 --> 00:48:25.559
commitment, perhaps, to catch yourself complaining

00:48:25.559 --> 00:48:27.619
whether it's happening silently in your thoughts

00:48:27.619 --> 00:48:30.539
or being spoken aloud. Complaining about situations,

00:48:30.820 --> 00:48:33.480
other people, your surroundings, anything. Become

00:48:33.480 --> 00:48:36.340
aware of the complaining habit. Yes. And recognize

00:48:36.340 --> 00:48:39.679
it immediately for what it is. A form of non

00:48:39.679 --> 00:48:42.659
-acceptance of what is in that moment. And fundamentally,

00:48:42.800 --> 00:48:45.500
it's often a form of self -victimization, making

00:48:45.500 --> 00:48:48.019
yourself powerless by blaming external factors.

00:48:48.619 --> 00:48:51.139
Toled presents a very clear framework here. If

00:48:51.139 --> 00:48:53.320
something in your present moment feels genuinely

00:48:53.320 --> 00:48:55.539
intolerable or dysfunctional, you essentially

00:48:55.539 --> 00:48:58.059
have three options. Three options, okay. One,

00:48:58.420 --> 00:49:00.820
remove yourself from the situation. Okay. Two,

00:49:01.239 --> 00:49:03.480
change the situation through action. Or three,

00:49:04.179 --> 00:49:06.719
accept the situation totally, exactly as it is

00:49:06.719 --> 00:49:09.079
right now. The crucial step is to choose one

00:49:09.079 --> 00:49:11.719
of these now, decisively, without making excuses

00:49:11.719 --> 00:49:14.280
or indulging in negativity. And if action is

00:49:14.280 --> 00:49:16.960
needed, option one or two, drop the inner negativity

00:49:16.960 --> 00:49:19.519
first, then take clear, effective action from

00:49:19.519 --> 00:49:22.519
a place of acceptance or presence. Choose. Leave,

00:49:22.820 --> 00:49:25.480
change or accept. And drop the negativity regardless.

00:49:25.880 --> 00:49:28.360
That's the key. Don't pollute your inner space.

00:49:28.659 --> 00:49:30.960
And what about fear and worry? They seem to be

00:49:30.960 --> 00:49:33.360
epidemic, especially anxiety about the future.

00:49:33.780 --> 00:49:36.320
Fear and worry, as Toli explains them, are almost

00:49:36.320 --> 00:49:38.980
always rooted in psychological time. They involve

00:49:38.980 --> 00:49:41.159
projecting your mind into an imaginary future

00:49:41.159 --> 00:49:43.340
that hasn't happened yet and may well never happen

00:49:43.340 --> 00:49:45.679
and then reacting emotionally to that mental

00:49:45.679 --> 00:49:49.039
projection now. Fearing ghosts. In a way, yes.

00:49:49.679 --> 00:49:53.619
So the practice is acknowledge fear when it arises,

00:49:54.519 --> 00:49:56.900
feel it as an energy, a sensation in your body.

00:49:57.130 --> 00:49:59.829
But make a conscious effort not to let it rise

00:49:59.829 --> 00:50:02.769
into your mind. Don't feed it with more fearful

00:50:02.769 --> 00:50:05.389
thoughts, scenarios, what ifs. It'll fuel the

00:50:05.389 --> 00:50:08.449
fire. Exactly. Instead, bring your focus immediately

00:50:08.449 --> 00:50:11.269
back to the breath. Now anchor yourself in your

00:50:11.269 --> 00:50:13.829
breath. Feel your inner energy field. Notice

00:50:13.829 --> 00:50:16.389
your surroundings. The profound truth totally

00:50:16.389 --> 00:50:18.610
offers here is incredibly liberating if you can

00:50:18.610 --> 00:50:20.809
grasp it. You can always cope with the now, but

00:50:20.809 --> 00:50:22.449
you can never cope with the future, nor do you

00:50:22.449 --> 00:50:24.389
have to. You only ever have to cope with this

00:50:24.389 --> 00:50:27.280
moment. Precisely. The strength you need, the

00:50:27.280 --> 00:50:29.780
wisdom, the right response, the appropriate action

00:50:29.780 --> 00:50:31.800
it will be there for you when you need it, which

00:50:31.800 --> 00:50:35.619
is always in the now. Not a moment before. Worrying

00:50:35.619 --> 00:50:38.579
about it in advance doesn't help. It just drains

00:50:38.579 --> 00:50:41.659
you. So it seems the ultimate choice for transformation,

00:50:41.880 --> 00:50:44.699
the real pivot point, is radical in its simplicity,

00:50:44.920 --> 00:50:47.260
yet incredibly powerful in its effect. It truly

00:50:47.260 --> 00:50:50.059
is. The core choice for transformation, the fundamental

00:50:50.059 --> 00:50:52.699
decision, is simply to create no more pain for

00:50:52.699 --> 00:50:55.880
yourself, full stop. It's to consciously choose

00:50:55.880 --> 00:50:58.460
to stop feeding suffering through these unconscious

00:50:58.460 --> 00:51:00.920
thought patterns and emotional reactions rooted

00:51:00.920 --> 00:51:04.219
in time. Choose to stop creating suffering. Yes,

00:51:04.699 --> 00:51:06.820
this choice sounds radical, maybe even impossible

00:51:06.820 --> 00:51:09.480
at first, yet totally insists it's entirely possible

00:51:09.480 --> 00:51:11.619
through consistently accessing the power of the

00:51:11.619 --> 00:51:14.619
now. And surrender is key to this. Remember,

00:51:14.719 --> 00:51:16.539
surrender here means accepting the is -ness,

00:51:16.719 --> 00:51:18.920
the reality of the present moment, without any

00:51:18.920 --> 00:51:20.900
inner resistance, without mentally labeling it

00:51:20.900 --> 00:51:24.340
as good or bad, right or wrong. It just is. Inner

00:51:24.340 --> 00:51:27.159
acceptance, not outer passivity. Exactly. It's

00:51:27.159 --> 00:51:29.639
an inner phenomenon, a yielding to life as it

00:51:29.639 --> 00:51:32.659
unfolds moment by moment. It's not passive resignation.

00:51:32.960 --> 00:51:36.260
You can still take action. Paradoxically, this

00:51:36.260 --> 00:51:38.800
inner surrender allows for much clearer, more

00:51:38.800 --> 00:51:41.059
effective and more powerful action to emerge,

00:51:41.679 --> 00:51:43.820
action arising from a place of peace and intelligence,

00:51:44.320 --> 00:51:46.519
not reactive fear or anger. And if you really

00:51:46.519 --> 00:51:49.219
can't surrender internally, if the resistance

00:51:49.219 --> 00:51:52.599
is too strong, then totally advises. Take action

00:51:52.599 --> 00:51:55.280
immediately. Either change the situation directly

00:51:55.280 --> 00:51:57.579
or remove yourself from it if possible. Don't

00:51:57.579 --> 00:51:59.619
just sit there generating negativity. But his

00:51:59.619 --> 00:52:02.880
ultimate counsel is clear. Never, ever allow

00:52:02.880 --> 00:52:05.500
unhappiness, negativity, resistance to find a

00:52:05.500 --> 00:52:07.659
permanent dwelling place within you. It's always

00:52:07.659 --> 00:52:09.840
an inside job. You have the choice in how you

00:52:09.840 --> 00:52:12.159
meet the moment. This deep dive into the power

00:52:12.159 --> 00:52:14.519
of now has truly offered, I think, a profound

00:52:14.519 --> 00:52:16.960
reevaluation of how we relate to ourselves, our

00:52:16.960 --> 00:52:19.079
minds, our emotions, and the world around us.

00:52:19.360 --> 00:52:21.460
It's been incredibly rich. It covers so much

00:52:21.460 --> 00:52:23.940
fundamental ground. It really does. So let's

00:52:23.940 --> 00:52:26.880
try to distill the absolute core actionable insights

00:52:26.880 --> 00:52:29.239
for you, the listener, to really help integrate

00:52:29.239 --> 00:52:31.619
these powerful ideas moving forward. What are

00:52:31.619 --> 00:52:34.599
the essential takeaways? OK, firstly, and perhaps

00:52:34.599 --> 00:52:37.639
most importantly, remember this. You are not

00:52:37.639 --> 00:52:40.329
your mind. That constant internal chatter, those

00:52:40.329 --> 00:52:43.469
judgments, opinions, worries, regrets, they are

00:52:43.469 --> 00:52:45.769
not your true identity. They're just conditioned

00:52:45.769 --> 00:52:48.750
mental activity. Begin to observe these mental

00:52:48.750 --> 00:52:51.510
processes impartially without identifying with

00:52:51.510 --> 00:52:54.349
them. This simple act of observation is itself

00:52:54.349 --> 00:52:57.289
a powerful liberating act of presence. OK, take

00:52:57.289 --> 00:52:59.510
away one. I am the observer, not the thoughts.

00:53:00.190 --> 00:53:02.110
Exactly. Secondly, the present moment is all

00:53:02.110 --> 00:53:04.650
you ever truly have. Really let that sink in.

00:53:04.719 --> 00:53:07.079
Let go of the powerful illusion of psychological

00:53:07.079 --> 00:53:09.960
time that constant preoccupation with past regrets

00:53:09.960 --> 00:53:13.059
or future anxieties All problems as totally defines

00:53:13.059 --> 00:53:15.480
them mind -made suffering exist only in the mind

00:53:15.480 --> 00:53:18.840
projected past or future Life is and always always

00:53:18.840 --> 00:53:21.699
will be happening right now take away to life

00:53:21.699 --> 00:53:24.610
is now let go of psychological time Perfect.

00:53:25.130 --> 00:53:28.150
Thirdly, actively cultivate presence. Presence

00:53:28.150 --> 00:53:30.710
isn't passive. It's a state of intense, alert

00:53:30.710 --> 00:53:33.130
stillness. And it's accessible to you through

00:53:33.130 --> 00:53:36.150
practical, everyday practices we discussed. Focusing

00:53:36.150 --> 00:53:38.250
on your inner body's energy fields, conscious

00:53:38.250 --> 00:53:40.969
breathing, observing silence, contemplating space,

00:53:41.389 --> 00:53:44.170
being fully engaged in simple activities. Presence

00:53:44.170 --> 00:53:46.789
is like an alchemical fire. It transmutes suffering

00:53:46.789 --> 00:53:50.150
and allows your true nature, your being, to shine

00:53:50.150 --> 00:53:53.010
through. Takeaway three. Practice presence through

00:53:53.010 --> 00:53:56.889
body, breath, silence, space, action. Yes. And

00:53:56.889 --> 00:53:59.769
finally, number four, embrace, surrender and

00:53:59.769 --> 00:54:02.210
acceptance. This isn't about giving up, becoming

00:54:02.210 --> 00:54:05.449
a doormat or being passive. It's a radical, courageous

00:54:05.449 --> 00:54:08.170
inner yes to what is in the present moment without

00:54:08.170 --> 00:54:10.449
internal resistance, without arguing with reality.

00:54:10.789 --> 00:54:13.070
This profound choice instantly dissolves negativity,

00:54:13.469 --> 00:54:15.230
breaks the cycle of suffering and opens the door

00:54:15.230 --> 00:54:18.230
to an unshakable inner peace, fundamentally transforming

00:54:18.230 --> 00:54:20.389
your entire experience of life itself. Takeaway

00:54:20.389 --> 00:54:23.360
four. Surrender internally to what is, except

00:54:23.360 --> 00:54:25.840
the now, powerful stuff. The core pillars, really.

00:54:26.119 --> 00:54:28.219
As we conclude this deep dive, I want to leave

00:54:28.219 --> 00:54:30.300
you with a provocative thought, something totally

00:54:30.300 --> 00:54:33.260
implies throughout the material. What if those

00:54:33.260 --> 00:54:35.920
seemingly negative events, the challenges, the

00:54:35.920 --> 00:54:38.980
difficulties in your life, what if they are not

00:54:38.980 --> 00:54:42.300
simply bad things happening to you? What if they

00:54:42.300 --> 00:54:44.739
are precisely what's needed, perfectly designed

00:54:44.739 --> 00:54:47.239
almost, to force your consciousness to evolve?

00:54:47.579 --> 00:54:50.000
To push you, maybe kicking and screaming at first,

00:54:50.480 --> 00:54:52.599
toward the very liberation and deeper awareness

00:54:52.599 --> 00:54:54.860
we've spent this time discussing today. It's

00:54:54.860 --> 00:54:57.900
a truly compelling idea, isn't it? It fundamentally

00:54:57.900 --> 00:54:59.980
challenges our conventional understanding of

00:54:59.980 --> 00:55:02.789
misfortune, of bad luck, of suffering. It invites

00:55:02.789 --> 00:55:05.449
us to look for and perhaps find profound meaning

00:55:05.449 --> 00:55:08.130
and incredible opportunity for growth, even in

00:55:08.130 --> 00:55:10.289
the most difficult, the most painful circumstances

00:55:10.289 --> 00:55:12.789
life throws our way. It suggests that suffering

00:55:12.789 --> 00:55:15.429
isn't just an obstacle, but potentially the catalyst.

00:55:15.869 --> 00:55:19.070
Exactly. It suggests that deep suffering, when

00:55:19.070 --> 00:55:21.690
it's met not with more resistance, but with conscious

00:55:21.690 --> 00:55:24.849
presence and surrender, can actually be the ultimate

00:55:24.849 --> 00:55:28.750
catalyst, the very thing that forces you. Finally,

00:55:29.349 --> 00:55:31.550
to relinquish your identification with the false

00:55:31.550 --> 00:55:35.070
mind -made self and surrender fully to the now.

00:55:35.809 --> 00:55:37.789
And that surrender can lead to the most profound

00:55:37.789 --> 00:55:40.570
and lasting transformation possible. This deep

00:55:40.570 --> 00:55:43.429
dive really serves as a practical guide to, well,

00:55:43.710 --> 00:55:46.150
spiritual enlightenment, not as some far off

00:55:46.150 --> 00:55:50.150
abstract goal for saints or mystics, but as a

00:55:50.150 --> 00:55:53.070
living, breathing reality that's accessible to

00:55:53.070 --> 00:55:55.389
anyone right here in every single moment. If

00:55:55.389 --> 00:55:57.769
we choose to access it. We truly hope this exploration

00:55:57.769 --> 00:56:00.110
has given you some profound insights, and importantly,

00:56:00.230 --> 00:56:02.030
some practical tools for your own journey into

00:56:02.030 --> 00:56:04.409
presence. If you found this deep dive valuable,

00:56:04.690 --> 00:56:06.550
please do consider rating it or sharing it with

00:56:06.550 --> 00:56:08.769
someone else who might also benefit from exploring

00:56:08.769 --> 00:56:10.989
these powerful ideas. Sharing the presence, perhaps.

00:56:11.170 --> 00:56:13.610
Exactly. Until next time, keep diving deep.