Book Summary: The Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain
“You’re not even you—you have no body, no blood, no bones. You’re just a thought. I don’t even exist—I’m just a dream—your dream, a creation of your imagination. Soon, you’ll understand all of this, and then you’ll cast me out of your illusion. You created me from nothing, and I will return to that nothingness…”
Journaling Prompts
Be free, be bold, be open. Forget about spelling, grammar, style, or structure. To capture your deepest feelings, let your emotions and thoughts flow freely.
Writing doesn’t need to be a long, arduous task; focusing on specific areas can be highly effective. Studies show that writing about significant life events for just 15–20 minutes on 3–5 occasions leads to great physical and psychological outcomes.
A Path to Spiritual Awakening: 7 Key Practices
Intensive self-reflective journaling | Cease the fight with yourself | Mind-Body connection | Listening | Non-attachment and letting go of beliefs | Healing techniques | Honesty, courage, and willingness
Reflective Journaling and Writing—an Effective Therapeutic Method
Writing doesn’t have to be a lengthy endeavor. Research shows that writing about significant life events for just 20 min over five consecutive days can significantly improve both physical and psychological well-being.
Journaling sharpens self-awareness, guides us into a deeper inner world, explores a full spectrum of emotions, cultivates openness, and teaches self-acceptance. This softens us and leads to compassion and empathy toward others.
Framework of Self — A dust bunny
We mistakenly take this collection as our identity, calling it the "self" or "framework of self."
We didn’t come into this world as blank slates. The brain and body determine how we operate. Nature or nurture, like personalities, many of our values and beliefs are not entirely our own but learned or inherited.
How much volition do you have? Can you simply flip a switch to turn off depression or become an extrovert or an introvert?
Let Go of the Responsibility to Provide and Save
A strong sense of responsibility to provide and save could make your life miserable. Yet, at the same time, you’re tackling this heart-wrenching moral dilemma: How can I watch an animal or person suffer without doing my best to help? Does letting go make me ignorant, cruel, or even evil?
Is Ego Really the Problem?
In the realm of spirituality and healing, the term "ego" is often discussed. The concept provides a convenient framework for exploring and understanding our identity. However, the ego is often labeled as inherently negative—insane, sinful, lustful, selfish, and greedy. Consequently, the ego is treated as a demonic entity that must be crushed and demolished.
Book Summary (2 of 2): The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van der Kolk
Trauma, whether large or small, shares striking similarities in how it affects the mind and body. Healing techniques aim to mitigate or eliminate the negative effects associated with traumatic memories or conditioning. This process helps restore equilibrium and balance within us.
Let Emotions Be Your Guide
Emotions don’t come out of thin air. Emotions originate within us; we cannot distance ourselves from them. The reasons behind them might not be clear—they could stem from personal beliefs, experiences, or unconscious conditioned responses.
How to Stop a Nagging Mind
The nagging voice has turned into an apparition dwelling inside your head. You're fighting a delusion. We leverage various healing tools to recondition and deprogram the persistent nagging voice.