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In this prescient and insightful interview that took place on the 11th of September 2001, renowned spiritual teacher and author of the best-selling ‘The Power of Now’, Eckhart Tolle gives his reaction to the attacks, leading swiftly to an analysis of the normalised and pervasive unconscious human conditioning and behaviour at the root of our species’ many problems. But he notably also highlights the ever-increasing emergence in many individuals of a new, enlightened state of consciousness and describes the witnessing presence, and complete and powerful essence in each one of us that is beyond the egoic mind construct – a fictitiously and fearfully separated self, a product of a hyper-active mental chatter and conditioning that resists the present and is attached to ideas of the past and fulfilment in the future, and which, on the collective scale, becomes the division between ‘us’ and ‘them’ that is responsible for so much social and international human conflict (not to mention environmental atrocities).
In fact, the very survival of these ubiquitous unconscious mental structures depends on creating an identity to recognise a supposedly separated self, and also to categorise others as different, worse or better, including as ‘enemies’, behind conceptual walls of division. Then, by acting out inherited or created identity roles, or strongly identifying with and unconsciously reacting to emerging thoughts, the egoic self thereby maintains its ever-insecure sense of identity. This false separation inevitably results in suffering, dysfunction and conflict, and could well lead to the demise of our species as a whole, given the stress unconscious behaviour is placing on our planetary systems and resources, not to mention the potential for further extreme global conflict and destruction on an unprecedented scale. But we can hope that the thoughtless chaos and violence we routinely observe can at least expose the madness and provide an opportunity for an acknowledgement of this flawed paradigm, leading to a collective evolution whereby an enlightened consciousness emerges further still until it reaches a tipping point, and a new paradigm is reached.
Collective insanity is an unnecessary madness, a reactive sickness, a resistance to reality that has dominated human history, and is the sum total of the unconscious thinking and behaviours of individuals. It is therefore only at the individual level that a global transformation can occur, and ironically, this egoic madness is usually most difficult to identify and detach from in oneself, than to observe in others. Nevertheless, fully liberating oneself from dysfunctional, repetitive and destructive patterns of thought and behaviour, or the identification with streams of unconscious thinking and a constructed identity is possible for all of us.
Happily, the solution is simply to enter and fully connect with the present moment, right NOW, objectively seeing the situation as it is, recognising emerging emotions or events unfolding in yourself or others without judgement or an attachment to past stories or future aspirations of fulfilment, allowing, respecting and embodying your true essence, a powerful spaciousness capable of holding everything that arises in the present moment, a complete awareness beyond any mental constructions of your current identity. This observing will then facilitate positive, practical communication and action from a place of deep innate intelligence and love, free of fear or the need to preserve a self-image through defending mental concepts or obtaining specific outcomes, and thereby allowing you to contribute to the world from a place of peace, sincerity, collaboration and joy, returning to the true essence that is your source.
This video is purely for educational purposes and all rights are reserved by the original producers and contributors.
Needless to say that greater credit must go to Eckart Tolle himself!
Peace and Presence to All!
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