If you do not understand racism (white supremacy) and how it works, everything else you understand will only confuse you. - Neely Fuller

We need something to clarify everything for us, because we get confused...but if we use the concept of Asili, we will understand that whatever it is they are doing, whatever terms they use, however they come at you, you need to be thinking about what? How is this going to facilitate their power and help them to dominate me? -Marimba Ani

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Day 1: Mind-Centered Living & Disability

10 Days Of Upheaval & Fulfillment

“I”m scared!”
“Of what?”
“I don't know, that's what's so scary!”*
A lot that has to do with scariness in life comes from the mind that tries to know it all, do it all and be in charge of everything. This is impossible for the mind to accomplish on its own. As a result, when a person is mind-centered, what the mind can't know, can't do and can't control, the mind fears because the mind has more faith in itself than anything else. Existence is limited to what the mind can handle.

If living was supposed to be a mind dominated experience, we would be one big mind of intelligence, reason and logic. The body would adapt to be smaller and less significant than it is today. It would become an appendage merely to carry around the mind/brain/head. All of the capabilities of the body would be diminished. Only those that help supply information and physical nutrients to the brain would be needed. Sensory input would be solely for the mind's benefit. Even now, the brain consumes more than its share. The brain is only 2% of body mass but uses 20% of the body's oxygen and energy. If the mind was supposed to function as a control freak dictator, it would definitely use a whole lot more.

On its own, the mind is a circular lock of logic. Despite its recent rise to dominance in our lives, logic that supersedes all else, is an inhibitor that locks down the mind and thus shuts down growth. Superficial is the mind without its spirit being lead counsel. Mind-centered living is superficial living.

The mind-centered have a self-concept we are mostly logical, thinking intellectual beings. We believe we are the sum of our human-taught information. Thinking is rigid. In order for a new idea to get in, it must cut through frozen locks of logic. To mind-centered people, this feels like our entire being is under attack from an idea. It feels like our safe cognitive shell is being cracked. This is why we defend our thinking to the death because we believe we must in order to save our lives. We live in fear. Today and the here now are the only things that matter. There is no learning from the past, thus only feigned concern for the future. We have no concept of our far greater spiritual aspect. All that exists is ill logic. This is mental illness masquerading as the superiority of a species. This is scary.

To keep from coming to this realization and scaring ourselves, we mind-centered folks have a preventive measure - a trump card that's sorta like a shield and a weapon. Research and experts are used bravado-style to shout down the sensibilities of the intuitive self. This is confirmation bias.

Unknown to the mind, winning these battles increases susceptibility to gullibility. This makes thinking for oneself a major illusion of mind-centered living. We trick ourselves. Since this mindset makes us think we are already in control and thinking for ourselves, then investigation, analysis, examination and critical thinking regarding “what is what” seems redundant, without benefit and unnecessary. When we take a mind-centered approach, we disable ability.
Related: Meet the Spirit of Goodwill band — a unique assembly of singers and musicians who live with varying degrees of physical and mental disability and a fierce drive to improve.

(Note: Just in America alone, there are 54 million (17%) people with disabilities and 1 billion in the world 14% or 1 in 7 and many more unaccounted for).

*Opening conversation is between Me, Myself and I.