And if you observe the emotional pain from a lucid state you see emotions as something you are observing rather than a problem that needs a solution.īeing lucid all the time is necessary because we are bombarded with stresses that can cause emotional upsets all day long. You also quickly learn that most daily upsets are not too bad and that you can endure them quite easily. When you are lucid, if there is a problem that needs to be dealt with, you will be able to do so without emotions clouding your judgement.Īllowing yourself to feel emotional pain can be difficult, but understanding that the process is beneficial can change your attitude and motivate you to embrace it so you can reap the benefits of letting go.
![the untethered soul, by michael singer the untethered soul, by michael singer](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520058229l/38914362._SY475_.jpg)
Because you are detached, because the emotion has not taken over your mind, you can just relax and allow it to exist until it naturally ends which is the way to let go of emotions - relax and allow them to exist until they cease naturally.
![the untethered soul, by michael singer the untethered soul, by michael singer](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2f/22/e6/2f22e6ba4f32cb12aca92b3176962497.jpg)
But when you experience emotions while you are lucid, you are not immersed in it, you see the emotion as something you are observing, not necessarily as a problem that has to be solved. You will see the event that caused the emotion as a problem needing a solution and you be focused on that. When you experience emotions and you are not lucid, you are immersed in the emotions, they will take over your mind, like distracting thoughts during meditation. But you have to confront your emotions from a lucid state of mind or you will not be able to let go. If you allow yourself to experience emotional pain (Buddhists say "suffering") you will learn to let go of it and that leads to awakening: the end of suffering. You can be what you are, awareness observing. The thoughts have taken over your mind.īy practicing meditation and mindfulness you can learn to be mindful (lucid) all the time. But if you get distracted by thoughts and get carried away by them, you become immersed in them, you might notice after a while that you are thinking about something and not meditating you are not lucid. When you meditate or practice mindfulness, you know you are observing, you are mindful, you are lucid. In a regular dream you are immersed in the dream, you think it is real. In a lucid dream you know you are dreaming.
The untethered soul, by michael singer how to#
Singer uses the analogy of a lucid dream to explain how to experience yourself as just awareness. Thoughts and emotions and events around you are things you observe. In the book he explains that you are just awareness. It is also available to borrow from but there was a waiting list when I checked there. If you are interested in the book and have access to e-books from your library you might be able to borrow a copy. I've looked at web sites about yoga and I found them harder to understand than Buddhism so I think what Singer has done is exceptional.Īccording to his biography "He had a deep inner awakening in 1971 while working on his doctorate in economics and went into seclusion to focus on yoga and meditation." Singer uses some "new age" type jargon chakras and "energy" etc but you can still understand the practical aspects of what to do with the information even if you don't like the way he says it. Singer says you have to confront unpleasant emotions to let go of them and that process leads to enlightenment. In Buddhism you are told to meditate and someday if you are lucky something magical will happen and you will get enlightenment and your suffering will end. Singer's approach is somewhat different from Buddhism.
![the untethered soul, by michael singer the untethered soul, by michael singer](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41JR4Zq4k1L.jpg)
What he is saying is not much different in essence from my own practice (observe the mind, relax, let go of unpleasant emotions) but Singer gives a clear explanation of the nature of the mind and how to use that understanding in combination with letting go of emotions to achieve awakening. I'm not sure how a beginner would react to it. I have a lot of experience in this area so what I am getting out of it is fairly advanced. As far as I have read (74%) he has not given any meditation instructions but if you are already meditating, the information in the book can help you understand how meditation and mindfulness practices should work and how to do them correctly. He cuts through a lot of the obscure verbal gymnastics you find in Buddhism and explains very clearly how understanding the mind can cause awakening. His background is in yoga and he writes about many of the more esoteric / mystical aspects of the mind in a way that is much easier to understand than the way it is presented in Buddhism. Singer offers a somewhat different perspective on certain aspects Buddhism which I have an interest in.
![the untethered soul, by michael singer the untethered soul, by michael singer](https://d4rri9bdfuube.cloudfront.net/assets/images/book/large/9781/4526/9781452655161.jpg)
I have been reading "The Untetherd Soul" by Michael Singer. (An updated version of this post can be found on my blog )