Post by wren on Jul 20, 2014 17:41:36 GMT -6
In the beginning of the Work we are taught that ordinary man is put into three categories based on which center controls him the most. These are Man #1, Man #2, and Man #3 controlled by, in order, the Instinctive/Moving Center, Emotional Center, and Intellectual Center.
What exactly does it mean to be controlled by one center? It means you adhere to the opinion of one center, your center of gravity, and neglect the others. For a rough example if there is a car accident, Man #1 is most likely to run over and see or help, Man #2 is most likely to worry, and Man #3 will try to reason what happened. This is just a very rough example though and not necessarily true depending on the situations.
I am personally a Man #3 and find most of my time and energy spent in my head. I realized recently that I have been neglecting Work on my other centers and that it is a very dangerous thing to do. I observed my mind and realized it is always working. Always thinking and analyzing.
I currently work in a dangerous environment where explosions, machines, and forklifts could easily kill me. This is what made me realize I needed to focus on my other centers. Since my mind is constantly going I pay little attention to my body and this causes my machine to not notice an inattentive forklift driver headed towardss me or a car on the road. I realized that without my luck saving me so often, my constantly running mind could get me killed.
Not only that, but there was no vividness of experience coming from my body. It eats too much, sleeps too much, and lies around far too much because I'm not making an effort to improve it. Now that I see this I have switched my diet around and try to be present when I eat. I have also started taking up Yoga as it puts me in my body and not my mind.
On the other scale my emotions are basically nonexistent. Essentially, I do not feel unless it is negative or unnecessary which I try to stop. If I succeed in stopping them, in remembering myself and my aim, an unshakable peace washes over me. But other than that, I pay even less attention to my emotions than my body.
I don't know how others may act with different centers of gravity but in the Work one has to balance the centers in order to develop further. What struggles do you have with this brothers or sisters? What are you doing to overcome them?
Awake!
Wren
What exactly does it mean to be controlled by one center? It means you adhere to the opinion of one center, your center of gravity, and neglect the others. For a rough example if there is a car accident, Man #1 is most likely to run over and see or help, Man #2 is most likely to worry, and Man #3 will try to reason what happened. This is just a very rough example though and not necessarily true depending on the situations.
I am personally a Man #3 and find most of my time and energy spent in my head. I realized recently that I have been neglecting Work on my other centers and that it is a very dangerous thing to do. I observed my mind and realized it is always working. Always thinking and analyzing.
I currently work in a dangerous environment where explosions, machines, and forklifts could easily kill me. This is what made me realize I needed to focus on my other centers. Since my mind is constantly going I pay little attention to my body and this causes my machine to not notice an inattentive forklift driver headed towardss me or a car on the road. I realized that without my luck saving me so often, my constantly running mind could get me killed.
Not only that, but there was no vividness of experience coming from my body. It eats too much, sleeps too much, and lies around far too much because I'm not making an effort to improve it. Now that I see this I have switched my diet around and try to be present when I eat. I have also started taking up Yoga as it puts me in my body and not my mind.
On the other scale my emotions are basically nonexistent. Essentially, I do not feel unless it is negative or unnecessary which I try to stop. If I succeed in stopping them, in remembering myself and my aim, an unshakable peace washes over me. But other than that, I pay even less attention to my emotions than my body.
I don't know how others may act with different centers of gravity but in the Work one has to balance the centers in order to develop further. What struggles do you have with this brothers or sisters? What are you doing to overcome them?
Awake!
Wren