E92: Releasing the Meaningless Moments That Create the Personal Mind

• You are not your mind; your mind is just an object in the universe you observe.
• Recognizing that you have a mind but are not it is a giant step in spiritual growth.

Michael Singer teaches that the central spiritual truth is: You are not your mind; you are the awareness behind it. The personal mind is just the sum of meaningless moments from past experiences, and identifying with it causes suffering and distraction.

Spiritual growth begins by realizing you have a mind that constantly talks, often based on old impressions, but instead of engaging with or resisting it, you learn to "handle" it — that is, to be okay with whatever it says without reacting. Singer says, "Don't listen to your mind because it doesn't know what it's talking about."

The key practice is to "lean away" from the pull of the mind's personal stories and opinions, thereby allowing divine energy (Shakti) to emerge and guide you beyond the personal self. This leads to a greater spiritual awakening where the ego dissolves and you experience connection with the infinite.

As Singer explains, "Man minus mind equals God," so transcending identification with the personal mind is essential to awakening your true Self and inner peace.

• Learn to be okay with whatever your mind says without trying to change or suppress it.
• Your spiritual path begins with calmly handling your mind's judgments, complaints, and reactions.