Everything that happens to us, whether it is a tangible event or
even if it is merely a dream, nightmare, hallucination or fantasy. These are
all REAL experiences because they have entered into our minds and they are
stored there indelibly... and subject to recall at a later date.
The mind is kind of weird like that. What could be dangerous is
how we can be manipulated (by others or by our own self-talk) to believe
something. When we hear something often enough, it takes on more credence and
many who have in an emotionally abusive relationship start to believe the
negativity they are constantly bombarded with. There is a name for this:
gas-lighting.
We are also influenced by political propaganda, commercial
advertising, peers and even by teachers/professors - or on an institutional
level. Clever slogans, clichés, catch-phrases, old wives tales, urban legends
and now memes that we see on social media also influence us in this way too.
Some misinformation has persisted for decades or even thousands of years,
simply because the stories and phrases keep getting told and retold and nobody
questions them. These also become our experiences, indelibly etched into our
minds.
The good thing is that we have control over our thoughts. We may
not be able to filter out what goes in or what originates there, but we can
modify our thought process so that we can separate what is truth from what is
fiction, or even break it down into further categories - what is entertainment,
what is fantasy, what is a belief or what is theory. These all have a proper
place and it is healthy to identify and then categorize our thoughts and
experiences so that we can properly deal with them and keep things in a healthy
perspective. Many of the things we experience can simply be filed in the trash
can. We may never be able to fully dump the trash (because memory is
indelible), but at least we know where these thoughts belong.
It is also healthy to periodically assess our experiences and put
them to the litmus test. As we grow older and have more experiences and as we
learn more, we can retrieve those thoughts stored in our minds and reorganize
them into their respective categories, if necessary. Many times, we have held
onto false beliefs because it never occurred to us to ever question them -
mostly because we never questioned the source (perhaps it was a parent, a
teacher, a scientist, a religious leader or a well-respected intellectual) and
thus, we have accepted it as truth. It is good to question things and to put
them to the test. The experiences that we have stored in our minds are passive
thoughts stored in memory. They are just there. It is what we do with them that
makes up our character and our intellect. Those things that are stored in
memory are the building blocks for the mechanism of our intellect and if we
have good materials to work with, the higher quality the end product will be.
This is where the term "garbage-in, garbage-out" comes into play. By
using quality building blocks (that we've carefully organized) and by
exercising our minds, the end product can be magnificent and beautiful!
On the other hand, sadly, many good minds get seized and taken
over by negativity and flooded with trash. I believe that sometimes even the purest
minds of those with the best of intentions experience their trash bins spilling
over and contaminating their minds. While this is disturbing, those who are in
the habit of organizing their thoughts to where they belong can more quickly
clean up the mess and recover, while those who are not in the habit of
organizing their thoughts may have difficulty or may never recover.
This is why it is of supreme importance that we not only take
the time to meditate to properly organize our thoughts, but we also need
support from others. We should do our best to provide positive reinforcement of
truths to our loved ones and peers as well. By spreading misinformation and
negativity (whether intended or not), we only exacerbate the problem and
perpetuate falsehoods. Open, intellectual conversations with others help to
stimulate our minds and help us to see others' perspectives, but also help us
to process those experiences that have been mysterious to us. We can put the
pieces of the puzzle together. Any great undertaking is usually a collaborative
effort, but in that process we also work out all the defects. That being said,
never underestimate the power of your own reasoning. Sometimes the group effort
is simply an echo chamber of falsehoods and one person who thinks outside the
box is capable of elevating the collective to a higher plane.
In
essence, no matter what our thoughts and experiences are, we need to organize
them and only use those that are true and can be helpful in our progression. We
all need others and we need positive reinforcement but there are also times
where we need to be alone with our thoughts. Most of all, in order to have
success and happiness, we need to think for ourselves and exercise our amazing
minds. We ALL have great potential. Learning to tap into that potential is
quite a learning process in and of itself.
