Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

When I write “to go deep within and become one with my Authentic Self” in meditation, what do I mean? What I mean is that when all my mental sediments have settled down, when I have moved beyond thoughts, sensations, feelings, and when I am observing myself being aware of my inner world, when I am conscious of myself I am one with my AS. This means I’m aware of this present moment, and this, and this. Not thinking of past or future but just being aware of Awareness. This doesn’t happen naturally. But when we try over and over again to become conscious of our awareness and succeed to do so we sense the presence; we feel contentment, peace, and joy. This knowing is awakening and experiential.

I was introduced to “Authentic Self” in Sarah Ban Breathnach’s book, Simple Abundance. The term clicked for me. Unaffiliated with any religion, it still carries the power of the Hindu “Atman,” the Buddhist “Buddhachitta,” the Christian “Kingdom of God Within,” and Islamic “Ruh.” 

Carl Jung called it “Collective Consciousness,” or “Self” and differentiated it from the finite ego self. He described it as the totality of our psychic system which you may experience as something that is looking at you, something that you do not see but which sees you.

If you want to live a purposeful life, you must work to awaken your Authentic Self. And when it awakens, life changes for the better. Your impulse to create comes from the Self. It is the organizing center that invents, puts in order, and conjures up images, ideas, and insights for the stories you write. It is your thinking heart, your inner companion, your mentor for life.

The difficult work is to make your ego self listen to the commands of your Authentic Self. The reason so many of us fail to connect, even when we are at its threshold, is because our ego is too big and won’t stoop to the Self. It distracts. Ego does not want to do any inner work. Meditation and journaling practices tame this finite self and thus strengthening your trust in the Authentic Self. Daily practice trains the ego to surface only when you want it. Generosity, compassion, gratefulness, and goodness bring you closer to your Authentic Self, your inner essence.