Finding Presence
What is Presence?
Presence is a state of Being when one has completely left the world of the thinking mind.
Presence, in this philosophy, is the ultimate state of connection. And, what is connection? Connection is essentially what we are searching for all the time.
Common egoic ‘searchings’ include sex, food, or any addictive behavior. You don’t question ‘does this feel good?’ when you are on the brink of an orgasm. You simply know. It’s a feeling. It is this feeling that our thirsty souls are constantly on the look out for whether we are aware of this or not.
How did finding Presence become so illusive?
Our clever egos. Our egos have led us through a wild goose chase of disconnected living by leading us into a debate about it, instead of seeing the emperor for his new clothes.
While we argue about which therapy is best for this disease, this diagnosis, or this particular trauma, our ego lies hiding in plain sight.
We are wired for connection, and because of this, underneath almost everything we do is a deep search for this feeling. In its less optimal form, this search takes shape in the form of addiction. When real human connection becomes scarce, either through trauma or emotional unavailability, addiction becomes the ego’s desperate attempt at finding some sort of substitute. All addictions, which can take the shape of any behavior when done in excess, make us feel temporarily emotionally soothed. For that moment when we fed our addiction, we taste one bit of bliss, but its affects never last and the cycle of hunger, craving and temporary satiation begins again.
Now, think about healthier forms of connection: calling a friend, exercise, cuddling with your kids, sharing an intimate moment with your partner. What feeling does this induce inside of you as you recall one such moment? It feels good, warm… safe. This is the power of human connection.
When we are connected, really connected, we aren’t tired, addicted, hungry, or distracted. We are in the moment, content, laughing, hugging, making love, singing, dancing, playing, creating and making jokes. We are free from our minds and basking in the glow of one another.
Nice, huh?
In this philosophy, I make the proposition that what we ultimately seek is human connection and the barrier to this connection is our egos or the thinking mind.
So, if what we ultimately seek in life is connection and connection means a moment or moments of time that we find ourselves out of the mind, why has this been so difficult and elusive to achieve?
Why? Because to be out of the thinking mind signals death to the ego.
Why death? Because being present is an act of ceasing, stopping, and surrendering, and our egos do not like to die.
Being present and connected inevitably spells death to the thinking mind, and what do most animals in the animal kingdom do when they feel threatened? Defend and attack.
Because we have lost sight of consciousness and the ties that bind us — connection — our egos have created a world in which to defend itself at all costs.
In this proposed new mode of consciousness, egos are taught to seek presence and connection knowing that with every death there is a re-birth.
Ancient cultures and major religions praised and created sacred spaces for these cycles of death and rebirth. I propose that we revive these practices through the metaphorical terms of death of the ego for presence and its rebirth again.
Herein lies the pathway to Einstein’s proposed different level of consciousness. The old us, or idea of us, as promoted by the ego, must die in order for a new one to be born. And in order for that to happen, the ego must learn how to face itself.
