Ghost reactions
When there is a belief in a though, a whole pattern of reactions come up along with it. This is what we get to explore through question no. 3 in The Work, how do I react when I have that belief?
And when the belief is explored and falls away, these patterns go away, right?
Not necessarily, at least not immediately.
I notice that, of course, the thought may come up again as before, although now without or with less charge. It is seen through as reflecting no absolute truth, and as just one of many turnarounds that each hold some relative truth, some of which may appear more true than the initial one. It becomes transparent, ephemeral, space itself.
Also, I notice that the rest of the pattern may also arise, including some of the emotions and impulses to certain behaviors. But these too also arise with little or no charge to them. They come up more as a memory of old patterns than anything else.
One aspect of this pattern is the anticipation of the contraction. A situation comes up that used to trigger the belief and its associated contraction, and there is the thought uh-oh, this does not look good, I know I am going to contract and experience stress here. And the only stress is that particular thought, nothing more.
So these ghosts of old patterns may come up for a while, as a faint memory of what used to be, until they don't.
Labels: process