What Is LIVING In Your Head?

Your mind is a vast specimen and an approved force to be reckoned with however in an unwholesome stage it can be your worst nightmare. Take a few minutes to watch the below clip from the series Criminal Minds (season 10 episode 11– The Forever People).

The above clip is solely my driven purpose for this blog post as I am not here to talk about this episode in its entirety.

Jennifer Jareau, known as JJ suffered traumatic and unforeseen abuse at the hands of her ex- overseas colleague, Tivon Askari, whilst working a case. JJ again became a victim of those which her and the team imprison. She suffered not only mental but also physical torture which triggered the loss of her unborn child; forever leaving her scarred.

After the death of Tivon, one year later she is forced to face the anniversary of the event. Every thought and emotion made its presence known and began to manifest like water given to plants. Just like the rest of humanity JJ is no exception to the constant battle of the mind. Even after one year JJ was under the assumption that she had dealt with the situation, which to us in our terms means “I thought I was over it?”.

For one whole year JJ functioned in her ability as a mum, wife and BAU agent. Mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually she had dealt with very little concerning what had happened. We know this as the above clip speaks of JJ’s unconscious mind.

JJ’s dialogue makes for interesting discussion. Her behaviour started speaking which showed a change in her character. Something has shifted in JJ. Her speech, confidence and actions exhibited her non-verbal dialogue. The real conversation was between JJ and her unconscious mind, that which was internally speaking to her.

Tivon Askari

Your unconscious mind is very much alive. We go through different situations and circumstances of which we most times have no control over. The deciding factor of rising above or sinking beneath are the decisions we internally make which determine our actions. The only problem is that we forget to CHECK our unconscious mind.

By definition alone the word unconscious means without awareness, cognition or sensation. The processes in the mind that take place automatically and not given a reflection period. Our thought processes, memories, motivations, etc. The unconscious and its processes exist under the surface and impact our behaviour. Academic research studies have suggested that the unconscious includes repressed feelings, automatic skills, subliminal perceptions, thoughts, habits, automatic reactions and possibly hidden phobias and desires. Some processes expressed in dreams, slips of the tongue and jokes.

Dealing with that which is under the surface is a very important part of growing as a person. When a part of you is revealed and this is enlightened unto you, you have a responsibility and an accountability to do something about it. However as the unconscious deals with under the surface, it HAS to be revealed. Sometimes people are used to show us what we are really made of then at other times we can see our own reflections based upon how we respond to that which happens to us. Yes there is always help but we also have a part to play. JJ’s response was to function at home and work but what she really needed to do was face the monster in her unconscious mind.

Dr Reid addressing JJ’s behaviour

Rather than looking under our skin we can sometimes become efficient. Using what we have in order to just pass by in life rather than sacrificing ourselves to the fullest in order to be all we can be. We hide in the functioning of everyday life when in reality we are unaware of the damage we are doing to ourselves because we are not dealing with what we are really thinking, feeling and going through which is internally taking its toll. Regardless of how much we divorce ourselves from reality we  will never deal with what is under our surface until we face it for ourselves. We all have our own individual ways of dealing with things but what is really living in our minds? What is your unconscious mind saying to you?

The mental processing taking place in our mind is what needs to be daily re-evaluated and challenged. Whether this be our religious belief systems, our dealings with people, how we talk or act towards ourselves and others, our values, our jobs, our personal confidence and self esteem, our relationships with our neighbours, family and friends; the list goes on. We really need to check all our repressed feelings, automatic skills, subliminal perceptions, thoughts, habits, automatic reactions, hidden phobias and desires. We need to see what is going on inside of us. Even the Bible tells us to examine ourselves (1Corinthians 11:28) and look at yourself to change you before being quick to judge others (Matthew 7:5).

My proposal to you today and even unto myself is for us conduct an individual check-up on ourselves; our hearts, feelings and MIND. Yes there is more to our minds than the unconscious but we need to see what is living in it as it is that which has the potential to make or break us. Whether you turn to people for wise counsel or prayer, something needs to be done with the living elements in our minds. Do not be ignorant, deceived or not willing to deal with yourself.

Let’s find and take this journey. There will be times when we really do not like, want to see or even believe what is really underneath but I can assure you that taking and sticking with the best process is a lifetime commitment and will be beneficial. We are merely responding to what can be a great time of change and transformation.

 

 

Deep Desire

Gollum from Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit is a fascinating character. His transformation from Smeagol to Gollum through his journey of corruption, deception and covetousness all because of one thing… a ring… a DEEP DESIRE.

Most of us know the journey of Gollum from Lord of the Rings. To summarise this in relation to my blog post; Gollum finds a ring created by the evil dark Lord Sauron which he created to rule over all the other rings of power and ultimately all of Middle Earth. This ring attracts all by causing them to yearn and desire it, the power it holds to rule and live selfishly. This ‘wanting’ is what ultimately led to Gollum’s demise and is something that I want to relate to real life; deep desires.

1. Smeagol

2. Transformation Process

3. Gollum

The Latin word for desire is dēsīderāre which means to long for, desire, feel the want of, miss or regret. Desires are something that all humanity have. As created beings we always need or long for something; whether it be a person, food, drink, money, knowledge, material goods or even power just to consider a few examples; we want something. Dating back to Biblical context even the very first human, Adam, needed something and God gave him Eve (Geneis 2:18-25).

Wanting or needing something is not bad as that is part of life but when you begin to covet, this becomes another issue as you begin to worship that which you eagerly seek.

James 1: 13-15

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (NIV)

To summarise the above Biblical reading it states that God does not tempt us but we are tempted by our own evil desires. Temptation speaks of enticing or alluring to do something often seen as unwise, wrong or immoral (Dictionary.com); and within the scripture is connected to our own personal desires. Let me just add that I am not saying all desires are wrong but those which we know are wrong but to continue to go after are the ones I am referring to. These desires give birth to sin (that which is wrong in God’s eyes) and eventually leads to death. The ring was evil and Gollum was attracted by the evil of the ring as was Eve being attracted to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3); not by might but now by personal interest; now what we call man’s nature. Does this sound familiar to you? Whether you are Christian or not the above Biblical principal stands as we can all relate to wanting things that are not good for us and them leading us down the wrong path in life.

Psalm 42:1

As the hart pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after you, O God. (KJV)

I think we can relate to this within a broader context. As a dear thirsts for water, the psalmists soul pants to God. In our world this speaks to our desires going deeper than we think but actually our SOUL wanting these things. To pant is to breathe hard and quickly, to gasp for air or to long something with breathless or intense eagerness; yearn (Dictionary.com). When you want something and are enticed by it enough, you will go after it at any cost. The desire has been fed and the slavery has begun… the habitual habit has formed. It becomes something you worship. Dan Blythe from Hillsong church ministered a message a while ago about worship and taught on what worship was. However in the message he spoke about addictions and how we do not have addictions but we have a worship problem. When we continually desire after something that is wrong we enter into coveting after it and that now is something we worship as it is all we want; which is what you can see happened to Gollum.

Romans 5:12-21 talks about the differences between Adam and Christ in nature and act. When Adam and Eve sinned against God (did wrong in Gods eyes- Genesis 3) then every other human being did by default, sin became human nature and something we were born into (Psalm 51:5) but Christ was the opposite. Isn’t it interesting that Eve was the first to experience covetousness…

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. Genesis 3:6 KJV

Believe me my friend you are not the first or the only person in the world to have desired something which you know is wrong. Eve desired to know more eve when she was told not to eat of this particular tree in the garden, the mythical beings from Lord of the Rings desired the power of the ring to rule man and do as they pleased, even Paul felt the battle between wanting to do right whilst still yearning to do that which he knew was wrong.

Romans 7:14-20

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^c For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (NIV)

Simply take a look at humanity today; we desire what feeds us, what feeds our souls whether right or wrong. Craving and yearning for something so much that it nearly destroys you mentally, physically, emotionally or spiritually. Have you ever just needed to get that quick fix again; to have what you once had, never had or what someone else has because of that yearning and deep attraction pull inside your inner self? This is exactly what happened to Gollum. Even though the ring attracts life, Gollum moved into the state of coveting after the ring as it now became the very thing he wanted at no cost. He deceived Frodo and Sam, almost killing them in order to have the ring to himself. To covet is to wrongfully desire something with no regard to others or eagerly wish for something- Dictionary.com (notice this is different to hope as it causes you to take action into your own hands in an incorrect manner). It is a selfish act of obtaining ones own desire.

Luke 12:34

Your heart will be where your treasure is. (God’s Word Translation)

Desires are connected to our minds and hearts. As they are things we want they connect, react and pull on what is already in us. Emotions follow these and the thought, life and energy we give to them in our hearts and minds determine the impact of the impulses we act on. For instance once Gollum had the ring he wanted it so much that he did all he could to get it, even murder. When a drug abuser has had that all time high they want it again and again and again. When someone loves sex they want it more and more and more. Your appetite for what you desire has to be fed regardless of the consequences, the habit must meet the desire.

Romans 8:12-14

So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! (MSG version)

You don’t have to do what you want to do. You have a choice to not do what you want to do but it takes a lot of will power to not do so. However when you have become a slave to a habit then the breaking away from it is not so easy. We turn to what we think will help break these habits; prayer, counsellors, rehab groups but when we keep failing to break away from giving into these evil desires we can fall into giving into them and no longer fighting their sting.

Romans 1:28

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. (NIV)

When we give up the battle and power to fight against what is wrong, we can make the mistake of giving into it; surrendering to it. If you are a Christian then we are to acknowledge God and invite him into the situation. For those who do not follow Christianity then this principle still applies; not necessarily by inviting God in depending on what you believe but there is that need to share or tell someone so you can get help. When you feel defeated or give up on fighting against the wrong desire then you will eventually give into it, as so for Christians when God will give them over unto their own evil desires.

I am not saying that you must convert to Christianity but what I am saying is that deeply re-think about what you have become accustomed to worshipping. What habits have enslaved you because of being enticed time and time again to your wrongful desires. Pastor Michael from New Nation Destiny Centre  shared a brief word about not feeding the wrong seed, feeding the wrong thing. To summarise it was about making sure we feed what is right and not what is wrong. When the church was in trouble Paul would always use the word ‘urge’ as an expression of his love and yearning for the people to re-consider and change their ways before it was too late. Seek good advice, counsel and even turn to prayer as prayer is not just for a select nation on getting out of your worship problem.

Desires are not wrong but when you become enticed by the wrong desires and covet after them you will eventually die; whether this be physically, mentally, spiritually or emotionally. T.D Jakes used the expression “spiritually rejuvenated but emotionally handicapped”. Don’t think you can control something when you are enslaved to it, recognise it has a hold over you and turn to the right source in order to deal with it and break its hold over you. Don’t allow your evil desires to run untamed, control you and cause death. Learn from Frodo and fight against the wrong desire with the help of others rather than give into it and have no one like Gollum. Let Gollum be a reality of what your future will be if you do not control the wrong deep desires within you.

Also read: The Analogy of the Ring, a great blog post via The Analogous Truth which I found in relation to Gollum and addictions.

The Self-Expressed Soul

Lately I have been consumed in episodes of the hit show GLEE. I have been learning about bad reputations being revived, condemning actions destroying relationships, unfulfilled and false based thoughts/ perceptions and realities destroying the people that have them because of a constant need not being met, how someone can turn your dreams into fictionous realities whilst others around you can help revive them; as well as how lies can completely destroy and break people. I have learned much more than this but then I would be blogging all day.

The most touching and most significant was the episode where they were all going through their own personal issues and it was starting to reflect openly. Their assignment was to find a song to express themselves where they are at at that specific moment in time. Some of the songs included classics such as Jessies’s Girl and Total Eclipse of the Heart.

Music was used as an expression of human nature, conveying how they as a personal felt emotional, physically and possibly even spiritually; but the most important thing was that it got them to face their REAL SELVES. They had everything on show, naked and unashamed as they say. Not afraid to see the real them.

Life throws many things at us, fair and unfair, good and bad. What is an issue for one person may not be for someone else; but what makes a real difference is YOU. Your choice to change and turn the situation round for better and not worse, to be and make something of yourself.

When faced with situations ALWAYS remember to look at yourself. Regardless of what is thrown at you, only you can change you or even choose to change. Your life, your heart, your mind… your soul. Self expression is not a bad thing but a very good thing if your future changes for the better with it.