Anger can be a Gift

[Ewwerrin]

@Greenslade
@Ciona

Don't you guys think that the unconscious is also part of the ego?

And don't you guys think that emotions are subconscious. One can choose to become aware of the emotion. It's not that unconscious, right? Or Semi-conscious perhaps? Quasi-conscious.

[running]

lots of interesting thoughts. wish i had more time to read. maybe later. i think any emotion can be thought of in one way. was it helpful in that moment or was it harmful. if it was helpful then its good. if it was harmful something perhaps needs to change on dealing with and responding to. with that said though perfection is problematic. first of all its always not because there are just to many outcomes and perspectives unseen.

my view.

[Ciona]

Originally Posted by Ewwerrin

@Greenslade @Ciona
And don't you guys think that emotions are subconscious.

Well yes of course...emotions are subconscious...and also conscious

I had the joy of accessing my soulmate's subconscious once telepathically when he was angry with me...and quite the 'discussion' between us ensued...and let's just say that emotion was present in his subconsicous, and I didn't 'stay' too long.

It's not that unconscious, right? One can choose to become aware of the emotion. Or Semi-conscious perhaps? Quasi-conscious.

In an individual with cognitive dissonance of any kind and to any degree, it can be that unconscious. Because you can be screaming and crying or shouting, or laughing at the other guy, or doing God knows what, and think you know exactly how you feel, and still be unable to 'see' yourself as you truly are. And thus how you're actually feeling, also even deeper down.

That being said, sometimes the cognitive dissonance is so severe, it's like you say...it could actually be very close to consciousness...the inner 'child' (not a great fan of this terminology myself) might be trying anything to get the attention of the consciousness...especially if it's very close to it. Wonder how I might know this.

I quite like the term 'quasi-conscious,' from a certain perspective. I think you've coined a great new reference for the greater good of all.

[lomax]

Originally Posted by Ewwerrin

Thank you for sharing this.
I guess everything serves double duty. There is a benefit to everything. A purpose and place for everything. It is all always perfectly contained by the perfection of everything that exists.

Something like that dear Ewwerrin.Instead of trying to hide from a truth,better learn how to make the most out of it.

[Ewwerrin]

Originally Posted by Ciona

Well yes of course...emotions ...
...good of all.

Ye, ty for the response. What happens if we become aware of it. Should we then still call it subconscious? And what if we become aware of the unconscious. Should we then still call it unconscious? Why not call it ALL conscious? Simply "Everything that exists is consciousness." Every single thing, big or small, deep or broad, infinite or finite, subtle or clear. Why not call it all consciousness?

[Ciona]

Originally Posted by Ewwerrin

Ye, ty for the response. What happens if we become aware of it. Should we then still call it subconscious? And what if we become aware of the unconscious. Should we then still call it unconscious? Why not call it ALL conscious? Simply "Everything that exists is consciousness." Every single thing, big or small, deep or broad, infinite or finite, subtle or clear. Why not call it all consciousness?

By all means do Ewwerrin

I don't think it cares what you call it.

Especially if technically everything is consciousness

When I use those words it's because of the following:

I'm speaking from a particular perspective which I will hope will be understood

We all have this thing called duality we're contending with in discussion

Within duality there's this thing called 'reality' where there's an unconscious


I'm now going back to the nonduality thread to address some of your points there.

I was waiting for Greenslade to come back before I joined today's festivities, but rather than coming back around like a bad ex I can't shake, he seems to be ghosting. j/k

Originally Posted by Ewwerrin

@Greenslade
@Ciona

Don't you guys think that the unconscious is also part of the ego?

The unconscious and its 'contents' is a part of the self, the ego and its 'contents' as another part of the self.

Originally Posted by Ewwerrin

And don't you guys think that emotions are subconscious. One can choose to become aware of the emotion. It's not that unconscious, right? Or Semi-conscious perhaps? Quasi-conscious.

Emotions are responses to external events. Initially the ego filters our perceptions and the unconscious processes the rest. So for example.... If I call you an idiot, because of your ego (Jungian ego, not swear-word/Spiritual/ego) you take offence and perceive is as an attack. Your so-called Reptilian Brain or your Limbic System sees it as a threat, your unconscious has an emotional response and your brain pumps adrenaline into your blood stream so you can counter the threat by punching me on the nose.

What most people are conscious of is the emotion, what they are not conscious of is all the other stuff prior to the emotion. It begins with perceptions but they are largely created in the unconscious. The unconscious is always 'working away' even when you're awake and as you're reading this it's chuntering away keeping your body from keeling over and processing the contents of this post.

Originally Posted by Gem

Indeed. Ego is basically a ball of reactions.

If I asked you to describe yourself, "I am" is your ego and everything you say about yourself is the 'contents' of your ego.

Originally Posted by Ewwerrin

What would happen then? You mean they would appreciate their ego more?

I doubt that very much, for most people the ego is always going to be the scapegoat that some need to point a finger at.

Originally Posted by Ciona

Exactly what I'm getting at--various factors at play and to what extent it all varies or doesn't--your statement can mean a lot of different things. Especially from the standpoint of multi-dimensional awareness. Or dare I say it, divine awareness.

The unconscious has a 'framework' but each 'framework' is very individual, and at any given time there could be a number of those aspects at play.

Originally Posted by Ciona

Yes I agree with all of this but how it affects the ego, necessarily, is what is in question (and perhaps parlayed) here

It's really about the individual because the ego is the result of a number of different aspects all interacting

Originally Posted by Ciona

Since they're in a symbiotic relationship, it can also be a quite conscious response to external stimuli, depending on the level of integration involved, in part or not at all based in egoic 'reactivity', it is simply the energy of anger is present now and warranted

The ego doesn't react, all the processing happens at an unconscious level and the ego becomes aware of it some time later. Some studies say that could be between 90-120ms later but in this context it can be perceived as an eternity. Then again, it's just as likely that the conscious might never be conscious of it. The ego becomes conscious of the emotional response but seldom of the unconscious processes that create the response or even what might have triggered it initially.

But what makes for a 'highly evolved and aware individual'? Being Spiritual is a very human thing to do, it's not a 'thing' that Spirit does.

Reality doesn't present the anger, again that's the end process of the unconscious and how it affects the body - flooding the system with happy hormones because it's good for our survival or adrenaline because we need to take action against it. Then we feel energised.

What is self awareness? The last time I was in a thread of that title it was a mess, quite frankly. Are you talking about the Jungian self that isn't talked about because it's psychology, are you talking about an imaginary 'Spiritual self' that the ego has created or, since you're trying to be Spiritually authentic, are you going to talk about the Atman and by extension Brahman? YOU don't decide which 'self' you become aware of, your unconscious cognitive behaviour or Right Thinking if you prefer a Spiritual slant decides for you, then you become conscious of it. That could be constructive or destructive cognitive behaviour depending on the reasons you name your choice. Or your not Right Thinking.

Here's what's not very well known in Spirituality, it's our little secret so let me whisper in your ear. The ancients didn't have a word for psychology because they didn't perceive it to be separate from their religion/philosophy. Jung was very well versed in Advaita Vedanta and took his model of the ego from Ahamkara and his model of the self from the Atman. Aham means 'I' (ego is Latin for 'I') and a kara is an 'invented thing', which broadly means perceptual reality. Ahamkara is the "I-maker," the ego. The karas are created in Chitta or Lower Mind, broadly the unconscious, and when you delve into Chitta you'll find psychology with a Sanskrit dictionary. Right Thinking of the Eightfold Path is constructive cognitive behaviour, which is one of the 'driving forces' of Spirituality.

So within all that, what of truth and awareness when Spirituality is solely focussed on ideologies and theologies? Yes, belief systems can indeed be limiting and the belief that what is labelled as Spiritual is the only thing that matters is one-dimensional, not multi-dimensional at all. The Spirituality of splendid isolation is not very Spiritual, especially when Spiritual people get their hair off because they take offence at what's been said in a post or they think their beliefs are under threat.

I don't disagree with anything you've said, just different words on the same page.

Originally Posted by Ciona

How did you guys ever get me talking here, anyway...lol...I don't do this and I got work to do...quit drawing me in, Greenslade ...This must be Running's 'fault', he created the thread

Haha guys just teasing...

Y'know, it's been a long time since I've been able top get my teeth into a real and passionate discussion.