Many people are unaware of how the issues of the society influence them and intensify their mental noise. This is where the psychological fabric of society functions as the culprit in the drama. Opinion mongering is an essential part of it. It is good to be aware of how our thoughts are influenced by the psychological spider web created by society. Freeing ourselves from it is not easy because of the fact that the practical aspects of our life are also fused with it. Through careful discretion, we can release ourselves from the spider web and bring about inner integration.
There is a general feeling that thinking is entirely originated from within us and that oneself is the sole author of it. When we become self-aware, we notice that there are many hidden causes that influence our thoughts. One of them is the thought continuum around us that UG krishnamurti calls a thought-sphere - like the atmosphere around us. One’s mind resonates with the vibrations in that sphere, very much like a radio picking up signals from a field of waves generated by a broadcast. When we become conscious of this, we see the bombardment from outside on our thought formations.
Because of the thought-sphere influence, most of the concepts and conclusions that we carry with us have been given to us by others, primarily through the media. Identifying oneself with the world in that manner gives us a feeling of satisfaction and security. From the many influences, we pick up those that support our conditioning engendered by genetic and environmental factors. Such a situation makes us be second-hand human beings. The surreptitious capturing of our minds by society is one of the main reasons for the mediocrity in our lives. Remaining alert, we can sense the vibrations entering us from outside and so become wary of it. If we notice that a rat has come into our house and wish to chase it away, we first ask how it came in. We must block the possibility of entry before we think of sending out the intruder. The same way, we must understand how the thought-sphere enters us before we can apply ourselves to ejecting its influence.
This thing brings us to the point of understanding how we get woven into the psychological fabric of society and so find it difficult to release ourselves from it. There is a practical need to be in touch with that fabric and in the process we fall a prey to its thought-sphere. This is where we have to apply discrimination and be alert enough not to let the rat in. At the beginning, the stranglehold that the psychological fabric of society has over us is hard to perceive. Its effect can be seen in the way people have given themselves over to the media. Newspapers, magazines, radio, TV and the Internet severely grip people’s daily consciousness and effectively thwart their self-awareness. Mental pollution by the media is a pertinent factor to be aware of, if we are to appreciate the beauty of aloneness. When we function from that aloneness, our practical life is not compromised but our approach becomes holistic and wholesome. Virtuous behavior and empathy become natural concomitants; mirthfulness and nonchalance are the salutary byproducts.
Contemporary Thought: This is an important issue while considering the psychological fabric of society. What goes on around us as intellectual issues involving controversies captures our attention and, unknowingly, we get threaded into the fabric. We lose ourselves in that noise to the point of being unaware of our true selves. Quite often, that stream of contemporary thought appears to be significant while it is nothing more than conditioned response. When we see its empty nature, it becomes easy to release ourselves from it and the associated opinion mongering. People who go through a Near Death Experience or an Out Body Experience get transported into a different dimension of consciousness for a brief period. After they come back, they see the poisonous effect of the thought-sphere on us very clearly and so keep off in their own way. That is why they can love life and love death too; those that are trapped by the psychological fabric of society can do neither.
So, the puzzle is this: Can one deal with the social fabric to the extent that the practical life needs it but, in the process, not get caught in the web?!
This is a puzzle that each one has to solve for oneself because the answer to it is non-verbal and so, non-intellectual. In the very process of solving this puzzle, one finds that one is free of the destructive aspects of the spider web. It does not need any further effort to bring about the freedom.
Reflecting on the above facts of daily life can transform us to the point of leading a fruitful life with deep respect for Divinity that is beyond the religions. Related issues are covered in the website http://spirituality.yolasite.com
Gopalakrishnan TC was born in Madras (now Chennai), India, in 1941. He received his doctoral degree in Coastal Engineering from the North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA in 1978; served on the research and teaching faculty of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India, the North Carolina State University and the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait. Aside from his professional involvements, he was interested in the philosophic issues of life for the last forty years or so. This led him to the messages of Ramana Maharishi, Lao Tzu, J Krishnamurthy, UG Krishnamurthy, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Eckhart Tolle, Marcus Aurelius and similar Masters. His book entitled “In Quest of the Deeper Self” is the outcome of his reflections on those and his wish to share the outcome with others.
Gopalakrishnan is a member of the International Association for Near Death Studies, Durham, NC, USA. He presented a paper at the 2011 conference of the Association on the theme "The Spiritual Content of Near Death Experiences". Functions as a freelance counselor for mental relaxation. Lives in Kodaikanal, a hill town in south India, with his family. Now he and his wife are both retired and currently involved in developing a fruit farm at a village 20 km from their residence.
Website: http://spirituality.yolasite.com Blog: http://nde-thedeeperself.blogspot.com email: gkrish2005@yahoo.co.in, gopal.tc@gmail.com