THE EXPLORATION OF THE MIND

The Mind and Brain

Most would think that the mind is part of the brain. But really, what is a mind? While the brain is a physical organ of the body that controls how we think and feel, the mind isn’t. The mind flows through the subtle energetic system of the body. There is nothing in the body that can be identified as being our mind because our body and mind are two different entities and that the mind cannot be confined by the physical body. This was suggested by Daniel Siegel who mentioned that the brain plays an incredibly important role but our mind cannot be confined to what’s inside our skull, or even our body. If the mind is not confined to these physical organs, then what and where is it? It is said that the mind is a formless, shapeless thing that perceives and understands the world around us. It cannot be obstruct by physical objects in this physical world simply because the mind is formless and non-physical by nature. To quote Daniel Siegel’s exact definition of the mind, “it is the emergent self-organising process, both embodied and relational, that regulates energy and information flow within us, in between and among us.”

​There are 3 main parts of the head brain that is crucial for brain development. The reptilian brain is in control of our innate and automatic behaviour patterns which ensures our survival. The fight or flight response is a response that comes directly from the reptilian brain. It also controls the autonomic functions of the body such as breathing, beating of the heart, and regulation of body temperature. The limbic brain on the other hand is involved in the behavioural and emotional responses as well as the memory functions. The limbic brain is also responsible to higher mental functions and it is said that the limbic system is the reason why some physical things seem so pleasurable and why some illnesses such as high blood pressure, are caused by mental stress. Lastly, the cerebral cortex, the largest part of the brain, is the control powerhouse and the information-processing centre in the brain that is responsible for the sensation, perception, memory, association, thought, and voluntary physical action.

Brain development is a lifelong process. It begins during the third week of gestation and continues through our lifespan. How our brain develops is strongly affected by our experiences with other people and the physical world. Exposure to stress and trauma can have long-term negative consequences for our brains whereas meditation, learning, and playing stimulates brain growth and development. Aside from the three main parts of brain, humans also have three brains embodied within the mind.  The head brain, which is composed of the three main parts mentioned above, is responsible for thinking and logic thru observing the world. The heart brain processes emotions and senses the world through feelings, and gut brain which engages with the world through intuition and instinct. Sometimes, our head, heart, and gut brains don’t always align with each other. In times of conflict, practice mindful meditation that helps the brain to be fully present at the moment. Being mindful means bringing awareness to what we are experiencing in the physical and spiritual world via our senses, thoughts, and emotions.

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The Divine Consciousness

Flowing through the whole universe is a single intelligent consciousness— the Divine Consciousness, which sometimes also addressed to as the Universal Mind, The All, Unified Field, Source, or God. Contrary to some beliefs, the idea of Divine Consciousness has nothing to do with spirituality. Its main concept can be simply explained as the highest being that governs the entire universe. The Divine Consciousness is an energy force that exists as the totality of the universe. It is all knowing, all powerful, all creative, and always present. Since the Divine Consciousness is energy and we are all energy beings, we are all connected to it. Our minds are part of the Divine Consciousness and what exists in the Divine Consciousness also exists in all of us.

In Quantum theory, particles can simultaneously exist in many places at once. This suggests that everything— life and non-life, we perceive as separate objects are one thing. This idea supports the concept of universal mind, each one being a part of a higher intelligence that is all knowing, powerful, creative, and always present.  


The Soul and Higher Self

Physics tells us that energy cannot be created or destroyed but can only change from one form to another.  The same idea goes with our connection to the Divine Consciousness. Each one can access to all of the intelligence the Divine Consciousness inherits with our connection through a state of consciousness, which is often referred to as the Higher Self.  The Higher Self is the soul consciousness that is more powerful than the physical form of one’s self. The Higher Self knows our intentions, desires, and purpose. Sometimes, the Higher Self communicates with us through the form of intuition and inspiration. Higher Self guides us on the right course of actions and decisions that only desires the best experiences on the physical plane. Although always connected, most of us have poor connection to our Higher Self. We often get caught up in the physical plane and ego usually takes over. Our physical self is not as powerful as the Higher Self as it does not have an access to the same information and intelligence the Higher Self does.

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When you are consciously connected to your Higher Self, you will develop a balanced perception of life, you are always creative and inspired, and it is easy to make the correct decisions that will lead you to experiencing the best life you’ve always wanted to live. Now how do we consciously connect to our Higher Self in order to access the intelligence and obtain the nature of Divine Consciousness that is all knowing, all powerful, all creative, and always present? First, know that you are always connected to your Higher Self. What you intend to do is to be consciously connected to the other part of yourself that is beyond the physical body you are living in. Second, find time to know yourself. Meditation helps the physical body train the mind in connecting the awareness back into present moment in time, rather than living in the past or future too much. When in a state of conscious awareness during meditation, the physical, spiritual, emotional, mental health and well-being is balance. Most of all, acknowledging and living the Laws of the Universe will guide you on connecting with your Higher Self.

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The Universal Laws

The law of vibration serves as the foundation of the law of attraction. The law of vibration suggests that motion is manifested in everything in the universe — that nothing is at rest— that everything moves, vibrates, and circles. Additionally, not only is everything in constant movement and vibration, but that the "differences" between the various manifestations of the universal power are due entirely to the varying rate and mode of vibrations. Everything about you is vibrating at one speed and every thought, emotion or mental state has its corresponding rate and mode of vibration. Even the non-life has its own vibrational frequency and is all governed by the law of vibration.     

Theorists and practitioners alike believe that the law of vibration is something that must be understood if you want to connect with your higher self to let it take control of your health, wealth, relationships, and life’s journey. Our thoughts, emotions, feelings, beliefs, actions, and intentions are our vibrations. For example: negative thoughts, emotions, and feelings are negative vibrations. The universe will pick up these vibrations and is this what will attract into our life. In order to have a higher vibrational frequency, our thoughts, emotions, feelings, beliefs, actions, and intentions must be aligned with each other to attract what we desire.

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While everything in the universe vibrates, the vibration moves in a certain order; in a certain rhythm. These rhythms can manifest in the form of seasons, cycles, stages of development, and patterns. The law of rhythm suggests that everything in the universe is always moving to and fro; swinging back and forth in a pendulum-like manner. To quote the exact words of The Kybalion , "Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the pendulum-swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates." Like a pendulum, we live our lives in seasons and cycles. Whenever something swings to the right, it must then swing to the left. Everything is swaying, flowing, swinging back and forth, growing, dying, and then growing again. To better understand the law of rhythm we can take the following as examples: the waves of the ocean, the rise and fall of great empires, the high and low period of the economy, and the summer to winter among all other things.

The law of rhythm is not limited to nature only. It also governs every aspect of our lives such as our health, relationships, wealth, and spirituality among all others. The swaying of our thoughts and emotions are also a manifestation of the law of rhythm. It can be observed that this law enables transition from one pole to the other, and not necessarily poles of extreme opposites. The key to mastering the law of rhythm is to know and stay in balance. In the practical context, whenever you perceive that you are on the lowest part of your life, know that everything flows and it will soon go in cycle. Do not become discouraged and fearful, and instead raise your vibrations and connect with your Higher Self that knows how to rise above the low parts of the cycle.

Another interesting concept is the law of relativity. According to Albert Einstein, everything in the physical life is relative. The law is all about the neutrality of things when seen in isolation. It is only by relating or comparing one thing to another that we become consciously aware of what a thing is. Everything is just is. This suggests that, no emotions, experience, actions, or person is as good or bad until you look at it in comparison with something else. On a higher level, the law suggests that how we view a situation can be changed, depending on how we perceive it to be. It’s all just a matter of perception. An understanding of this law will make us consciously aware that there are always multiple perspectives on anything that happens to us and this awareness lets us overcome what we perceive as negative situations with more courage and in the natural flow and rhythm of the universe.

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