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Achieving Mental Liberation

Are your thoughts really yours?

By Dan PittmanPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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Recently I was introduced to an idea that has caused a paradigm shift in my approach to mindfulness. The archway leading to some sort of awakening or transcendence was missing its keystone - unbeknownst to me. I was chasing my own tail, feeling brief moments of success only to find that I had duped myself yet again.

Consider for just a moment, your own thoughts. Where did they come from, and what are they made of? Are they yours - and I mean truly yours, or are you simply regurgitating something you’ve heard or read?


This is an incredibly important question for us to answer. I would make the argument that in large part it is not our own thoughts we are uncomfortable with, but that we misinterpret thoughts of others to be our own.

This idea that thoughts that plague us, leave us feeling empty, disassociated, depressed, or anxious may not really be our own can be quite a liberating realization. For myself it’s as if a wall I’ve been attempting to climb to no avail actually has a doorway hidden in plain sight. This doorway is an access point to further mental liberation, to peace with the self, to simple comfort in one’s own mind.


I know I’m not alone when I say that I feel like I’m going crazy sometimes. Even before 2020 socked us in the jaw, most of us have felt this way at various moments in our lives. In these moments our minds seem as though they are working against us. We question our sanity, look around for some sort of solace and ask ourselves “what the hell is wrong with me?”


Consider social media, for example. Statistics on daily use of social media are in effect superfluous at this point - we all know our consumption levels are likely a bit too high. The very algorithms at their core are designed to present posts, people, or topics relevant to you with the hopes you will stay on the apps for a longer period of time. As you scroll, you are presented with the thoughts of other people. Some you may disagree with, others you may be moved by - doesn’t matter. What matters is that we are inundating ourselves with a constant flow of thoughts belonging to others.


Let’s take a look at the general topic of social issues. Perhaps you start to see some similar posts from various individuals you follow regarding a particular social stance. As you spend time exposing yourself to thought after thought after thought, at some point the scale wll tip. Thoughts trickle into your mind like a hidden leaky pipe behind your bathroom wall. Your perceptions can be re-shaped by experiences like this. That leaky pipe eventually grows mold in the drywall. It permeates and grows beyond the leak itself.
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n a way social media functions as propaganda. When you look at the lives of others play out on a screen, the standard nonconscious response is to make comparisons to your current situation. As opinions flood your mind, they interact with various aspects of your personality, moral code, and existing opinions. This all intertwines, some semblance of truth emerges - that is, an idea of truth not primarily based on organic thought generated by the self.


The ultimate goal is to clearly establish what thoughts are representative of who you are and who you wish to be. Step one is acknowledging that it is quite possible counterintuitive thoughts which weigh you down may not be of your own creation. Rather, enough stock was placed in another’s thought which you were exposed to. It is a crucial step toward mental liberation, mindfulness, and inner peace.

Imagine knowing yourself so deeply that you turn to yourself for reprieve in times of hardship. Imagine the mental serenity, as if your mind is as predictable as the calm ebb and flow of the tides.


In order to fully achieve mental liberation, you’ve got to address the leaky pipes behind the walls. This is when you can finally get your hands dirty and shape a handmade mind. A mind formed by you. A mind that works with you, not against you, and maybe  a mind you love to be with.


mental health
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About the Creator

Dan Pittman

I write to encourage perspective. I write to challenge readers to really peel back the layers of their mind and get their hands dirty. Our brains are fascinating and even moreso when we dive deep into their depths.

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