Is ego the source of all fear?

[Forestluv]

14 minutes ago, Matt8800 said:

Someone that is enlightened has no aversions or attachments. 

I can’t find that requirement in my enlightenment rule book. I thought I got an officially certified version, yet now I’m not so sure ?‍♂️

[TheAvatarState]

3 hours ago, mandyjw said:

If I become fearless will I also be free of ego or do I need to become egoless to become fearless. 

Ego is the root of all fear. So if you're a doctor, do you treat the root or attack the symptoms? 

[Joseph Maynor]

Yes.  Your Ego-Mind fears reality going against your Ego-Mind's preferences.  The flip side of this is joy, which is what the Ego-Mind feels when reality is aligned with your Ego-Mind's preferences -- say you win the lottery or you beat a battle with cancer.  Now, all of this stuff is just reality doing what it's doing.  But your Ego-Mind has a dog in the fight of reality doing what its doing.  To deny this is where people go off into la la land.  And your Ego-Mind having preferences about reality is normal, this isn't something to be ashamed of.  It's something that has to be mitigated though because reality is not catering to your Ego-Mind.  You need to be able to see up underneath your own Ego-Mind so the suffering caused by its clinging doesn't make your life worse than it has to be for you.  It's important for you to not cling to the Ego-Mind like a drowning man clinging to a life preserver.  But at the same time you don't wanna reject your Ego-Mind or pretend as if it doesn't exist.  If your Ego-Mind didn't exist you would be able to chop off one of your own fingers in the same kind of lackadaisical manner that you stepped on a poor snail on your way out of your house this morning.

Edited January 29, 2019 by Joseph Maynor

[DrewNows]

11 minutes ago, Serotoninluv said:

@DrewNows @mandyjw Nice thoughts and questions. I think it gets tricky using the term psycological. Our primitive limbic system evolved prior to our capacity for rational thought in the frontal lobe. Other mammals have this system - it orients the organism toward survival. In particular, the amygdala stimulates fear.  It seems in the human mind-body the limbic system is still a driver toward survival. Experience gets imbedded into it and is generally subconscious. There is also crosstalk with the rational processing center in the frontal lobe that creates “the story”. 

Of course these are just concepts, yet I think they have practical use. 

Interesting bit of knowledge. I suppose it comes down to how we’d like to define fear in this case. I like to use the term psychological to explain the fear created by thought. Instinctual/primitive fear could be something entirely different 

i find it interesting to observe how people communicate and project human emotions onto other animals or their pets 

 

[Joseph Maynor]

1 minute ago, DrewNows said:

i find it interesting to observe how people communicate and project human emotions onto other animals or their pets 

https://shopus.furbo.com/blogs/knowledge/why-does-dog-lick-my-face

[Forestluv]

6 minutes ago, DrewNows said:

I like to use the term psychological to explain the fear created by thought. Instinctual/primitive fear could be something entirely different 

A thought-based ego likes to believe it is in control the narrative. The limbic system evolved prior to the ability to think. It is the underlying driver, yet the ego doesn’t like to admit it. 

We are not the author of our thoughts. Brain scans can now detect thoughts before the person thinks it. The psychological self is one giant smokescreen.

[DrewNows]

@Joseph Maynor? appreciate the article. 

Good points on our ego-mind as well! It’s so natural to reject something in which we finally understand and reflexively judge to be that of ego. I see it as all being a part of the same mechanism. 

Soon I’ll make a thread explaining “true change” as I like to call it when you transdend undesirable egoic patterns 

 

[DrewNows]

4 minutes ago, Serotoninluv said:

A thought-based ego likes to believe it is in control the narrative. The limbic system evolved prior to the ability to think. It is the underlying driver, yet the ego doesn’t like to admit it. 

We are not the author of our thoughts. Brain scans can now detect thoughts before the person thinks it. The psychological self is one giant smokescreen.

Underlying driver of what exactly? Our decisions??? 

Not sure what you’re getting at with authoring of our thoughts ?

[mandyjw]

6 minutes ago, Serotoninluv said:

A thought-based ego likes to believe it is in control the narrative. The limbic system evolved prior to the ability to think. It is the underlying driver, yet the ego doesn’t like to admit it. 

We are not the author of our thoughts. Brain scans can now detect thoughts before the person thinks it. The psychological self is one giant smokescreen.

Is that why we're so embarrassed after someone scares us and makes us jump? 

[DrewNows]

@mandyjwyou are no where near crazy. I think you are becoming more aware  

[Jack River]

10 minutes ago, DrewNows said:

Underlying driver of what exactly? Our decisions??? 

Not sure what you’re getting at with authoring of our thoughts ?

You guys are for the most part meeting. 

[Forestluv]

27 minutes ago, DrewNows said:

Underlying driver of what exactly? Our decisions??? 

Not sure what you’re getting at with authoring of our thoughts ?

During meditation, step outside the story of thoughts and observe. Where do thoughts arise from? There is no you writing the thoughts. 

[Forestluv]

14 minutes ago, mandyjw said:

Is that why we're so embarrassed after someone scares us and makes us jump? 

Heehee. Nice.

In my experience, it sure does seem that way. Sometimes my ego gets blindsided, and then steps back in to take control.

I’d say first order would be getting startled, second order getting embarrassed and third order is a thought story that arises about what happened and what it means. 

[Jack River]

8 minutes ago, Serotoninluv said:

During meditation, step outside of the story of thoughts and observe. Where do thoughts arise from? There is no you writing the thoughts. 

He gets that. You guys are actually meeting one another. 

There is the primitive & healthy fear that you spoke of, and there is the psychological fear that he spoke of.

The psychological fear, as in reaction that is influenced by the I thought thinking it is distinct from the objects of experience. 

The fear he means I think is ‘inward fear’ like; seeking psychological certainty, inward continuity of psychological becoming/not becoming(resistance to what-is/fear). 

Psychological evolution. 

 

Edited January 29, 2019 by Jack River

[Forestluv]

@Jack River It’s integrated, not separate. 

[Jack River]

3 minutes ago, Serotoninluv said:

@Jack River It’s integrated, not separate. 

 

14 minutes ago, Jack River said:

The psychological fear, as in reaction that is influenced by the I thought thinking it is distinct from the objects of experience. 

 

[Jack River]

I can be separated from all things but no thing can be separated from this dude?

[Forestluv]

25 minutes ago, Jack River said:

The psychological fear, as in reaction that is influenced by the I thought thinking it is distinct from the objects of experience. 

Posting it twice doesn’t make it true. 

I’m pointing to something you don’t have an interest learning about and I respect that ? 

[Jack River]

7 minutes ago, Serotoninluv said:

Posting it twice doesn’t make it true. 

I’m pointing to something you don’t have an interest learning about and I respect that ? 

I’m not following you my dude. 

What do you think I stated? 

Your finger belongs to me?

Edited January 29, 2019 by Jack River

[Jack River]

13 minutes ago, Jack River said:

I can be separated from all things but no thing can be separated from this dude?

Hehe

Edited January 29, 2019 by Jack River