The root cause of anxiety and stress nowadays can be largely attributed to our thoughts. In the year 2005, the National Science Foundation published an article stating that the average person has a daily number of thoughts that range from 12,000 to 60,000. But what is worth considering in the article is the quality of those thoughts.
Related: How to Regain Power from the Unconscious Mind
The article goes on to say that 80% of the thoughts are negative and 95% are repetitive as compared to the day before. If we take a step back at the nature of thoughts that we experience, we will find that there are just two types of thoughts. The first one is our passing thoughts - they’re fleetingly come and go with no impact on us. The second is the repetitive thoughts. They tend to be habitual and unconscious that stem from either our memory or our imagination. Because the memory is associated with the past and imagination is with the future, we feel disconnected most of our time from the present moment and the reality of daily living.
The quality of our thoughts has a dramatic effect on our well-being. The dreadful percentage of our negative thoughts asserts the fact that our minds are negatively wired. It follows that our bodies are adversely affected since our mind and body are deeply connected. The effect that appears on the body is but a reflection of the unconscious negativity of our thoughts. To remedy this, being a witness is not enough as it sometimes loses traction of what’s going on. Another deep level is needed, then. That’s where awareness comes in.
Related: How Being a Witness Can Awaken Your Whole Being
Your negative thoughts can be likened to two conflicting teams in a football match. Though the referee is witnessing and watching, he is still attached to the game. To prevent any small error, the VAR technology was introduced in the last FIFA World Cup 2018.
The VAR technology is a Video Assistant Referee that is pure and unattached witness which sheds light on what’s going on. The referee on the pitch is your consciousness. Your consciousness is your mind that is not purely sharp; but, your awareness is your soul that is non-judgmental, unattached and intensely present. As compared to your consciousness, your awareness is more sharp and infallible. The witness is the referee, the judgmental mind of yours that’s not totally aware of what’s going on.
The unconscious and habitual nature of our thoughts is detrimental to our well-being. Being a witness of those thoughts is not enough for controlling them. Therefore, your awareness is a more effective tool for catching those negative and unconscious thoughts.
