In meditation we can clearly see that the mind is made up of a huge number of divisions. Each division concerns a certain subject.  Now we look at how all these divisions could possibly work together.  We might visualize them as marbles on a table.  When we think of certain subject, this marble lights up.  So how does a particular marble be selected?

To answer this question we have to take a look at emotions. An emotion lights up our marbles.

While in meditation, we turn off our marbles and just observe our self and the world around us.

Most of the time, we have many thoughts and emotions in session.  We have only one thought at a time, but we can have more than one emotion.  A mother finding their lost child might feel overwhelming love for her child, so happy to have found her.  But she is also angry at her child for disappearing.

So here we have two marble that light up. 

Here the mother will express her love of the child first.  Then she will teach the child not to run off. 

Thus marbles can be cued, so that make a mental list of things to do.

 Emotions help eliminate trying to do two or more things at the same time.  We sense danger, we put off doing other things until the danger is past..

One theory is that the emotions follow Maslow Hierarchy of Needs. The emotions are based on following a pyramid follow a set of needs.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs are listed below with the most urgent needs at the bottom:

1. Self-actualization

2. Esteem

3. Love and belonging

4. Safety need

5. Physiological needs.

Physiological needs (air, water, food, shelter...) take priority over safety needs.  Safety needs provide economic resources, health, and property.  Once the safety needs are met, then being loved and feeling that you belong to a group become important.  When these are satisfied, one needs respect from others, respect from themselves, status, strength and freedom.  Once we feel good about ourselves we are in a place when we can concentrate on becoming all that we can be.

But for those who have a strong will to be all they can be, the "hierarchy of needs" is modified by a desire to achieve more in life than just reacting to what is going on..  There are many who go on a hunger strike, risk their lives in wartime, leave their families to serve their country, lose esteem for a higher calling.  These people overcome their low needs to be self-actualizing in the own way.

Many people give up, and let others and organizations stack their marbles and do not think for themselves.  Allow someone else to control your ideas and beliefs is actually a form of hypnosis.  As adults, we need to have our own beliefs and thoughts, and stack up their own marbles.

The question is: "how do you do this?"

It is a matter of guidance.  First lets look at machines. From a toaster to computer, there has to be a designer.  A toaster has guides for bread placement and a computer has software that was created by programmers.  The programmers break down the program into logical units.  One part of the program concerns inputs from the keyboard or mouse, and another part of the program produces output on a monitor or printer.  In between, the key functions and the output functions, are modules that interpret the key strokes into desired outcomes. It could be data on a screen, a drawing, commands to other machines, or answers based on artificial intelligence.  Thus the programmer leaves their mark as a ghost in the machine.

People are much more than machines, but they need guidance too. The fertilized egg requires a huge amount of guidance to become a body possessing a beautiful brain (hopefully). Some things like this are far beyond our current science, but things happen anyway.

People mature by the guidance we find in with parents, in schools and in religions institutions, but fail to rethink what they have learned to put it together for themselves. Much of what we have been taught is just wrong.  It is a mixed bag and if we try to believe in everything we become totally lost. We have to discriminate and demand evidence

Children need to be educated so that they achieve the skills, not only academically, but spiritually as well.

If we doubt too much, we can be lost in emptiness.  If we believe too much we become parrot-like.

Spirituality is not casted in holy phrases and rituals. Spirituality is being alive in the best way possible.  It is appreciating everything.  It is in the process of feeling so excited about being creative and artistic.

We feel spiritual during moments when we feel a deep connection with something greater than ourselves- with the natural world, with those who have gone before, with a creative spirit, with our interpretation of God. Spiritual moments like this, "direct experience of transcending mystery and wonder" are vastly  important. Sometimes those moments catch us by surprise. A sunset takes our breath away. We share a moment of connection with a stranger. We discover our creative insight.

There must be a life force that lies in mystery, that we see with eyes of love and science.

END

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