LESSON 4:
Course Learning Objectives:
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To be able to appreciate how human reality is created and appreciate that unconscious understanding exists within these realities
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To be able to identify when a reality is healthy and accurate or unhealthy and distorted
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To recognise that healthy realities do contain belief in any form
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To appreciate that to restore healthy understanding, the belief in an unhealthy reality has to be completely undermined
Recognising Incorrect Understanding
As we said, psychological suffering occurs when unhealthy understanding gets created. If sensitivity to unhealthy thinking increases, it becomes easy to catch. Once we see what has happened, the suffering will immediately stop.
Breaking the belief in our unhealthy understanding breaks the rigid feeling of life and lets us feel like we regain a sense of psychological space and freedom.
Look at the graph and key below. Consider which area your understanding is in...
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When you are around your family
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When you wake up on a morning that you have work
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When you wake up on holiday
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When you spend time on your own
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When you spend time with your partner
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When you spend time with a friend
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When you call friends
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When you call family
KEY:
Common Red Flags for Harmful Understanding
The only reason that we suffer from the same issues year on year is that the unconscious beliefs that we are generating don't change. If these get destroyed, our understanding changes and becomes naturally healthy and helpful.
One exercise can really help show you where you issues are.
RELIEF TASK
Grab a pen and paper, and consider how your life would have to be for you to experience long term relief, fulfillment, peace and freedom by answering the following questions. This will give you a clear sense of how your unhealthy, unconscious understanding is blocking a sense of mental wellbeing.
Question 1: Financial Health
How much money does you require for you to gain a sense of long-term relief?
Question 2: Relationships & Friendships
How do you need to be perceived by other people?
If you are in a relationship, how do you need your partner to act in order to feel long-term relief?
If you are not in a relationship, do you feel you need one?
Where do you believe love comes from?
Is there anybody else in your life who needs to feel happy in order for you to feel happy?
Do you need a certain number of friends to feel relief?
Do you need a certain amount of time with your friends in order to feel relief?
Do you have anybody who is completely safe for you - you can talk to them about anything and don't feel judged by them - in your life?
Question 3: Time
On an average day, how do you need to be spending your time in order to have a sense of long-term, lasting relief?
According to your belief system, what constitutes a waste of time?
Does the prospect of free time (as opposed to a busy calendar) bring you a sense of relief?
Question 4: To-Do Lists
Do you need to get to the end of your to-do list in order to feel a sense of relief?
What is your criteria for deciding when a task becomes urgent? Is it when you become aware of it, or just before it's due?
Question 5: Health
How much money does your unhealthy understanding require for you to gain a sense of long-term relief?
Question 6: Imagining The Future
How much money does your unhealthy understanding require for you to gain a sense of long-term relief?
Question 7: Imagining The Past
How much money does your unhealthy understanding require for you to gain a sense of long-term relief?