WEEKLY MEDITATION
To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.
-George Orwell
There is an underlying subjective nature to the way that humans experience their lives. It’s not too much of an exaggeration to say that we are all somewhat delusional—inevitably deluded by the mechanics of human consciousness. Our addictions are supported by this subjectivity and the emotional discomfort that they create in our lives. In our recovery, once we have broken the bond to the substances or behaviors through which our addictions are manifested, we may need to examine the unconscious layers of our emotional navigation systems in an effort to decrease the underlying need for addictions. But these subjective layers can be very rigid and even after we have established an understanding of what they are and the stories they tell, it can take a lot of effort to see through them. There is a big difference between simply stopping the use of addictive substances or behaviors and addressing the psychic machinery behind their existence. And while we may never see the world the way it truly is—without the subjective veil created by our past experiences—we can learn to get closer to it, ridding ourselves of the most toxic layers and seeing more accurately what lies in front of our very noses.
