The Untethered Soul - Michael Singer

Question 1

What is the best way to free yourself from the incessant chatter of the voice inside your head?

Answer 1

Stand back and view it objectively. Don’t think about it, just notice it.

Question 2

When does the voice become extremely active?

Answer 2

When there’s a buildup of nervous, fearful, or desire-based energy inside.

Question 3

Why does the voice narrate the world for you?

Answer 3

It makes you feel safe and buffered from life…but then you aren’t living life.

Question 4

Whenever there’s an inner disturbance, what should you do?

Answer 4

Notice it and ask, “Who is this? Who sees the disturbed part?”

Question 5

What is the highest word you will ever utter?

Answer 5

Consciousness, aka, pure awareness.

Question 6

Who are you?

Answer 6

I am the one who sees…who looks out and is aware of events, thoughts, and emotions that pass before me.

Question 7

What is the best way to learn about consciousness?

Answer 7

Through your own direct experience.

Question 8

What does it mean to be The Lucid Self?

Answer 8

Just as in a lucid dream, where the dreamer is aware that it is a dream and can, for example, fly, being lucid in day-to-day life means to be aware that you are aware, versus not being aware.

Question 9

Does your inner pattern of thoughts change much?

Answer 9

No…it stays pretty much the same, because you are so interested in controlling your world of thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations.`

Question 10

What can you do to re-center if the mind has wandered off?

Answer 10

Just say, “hello” inside, over and over, and notice that you are aware of that thought. Don’t think about it (that’s just another thought)…just relax and be aware that you can hear “hello” being echoed in your mind.

Question 11

What is True Meditation?

Answer 11

When you’re aware that you’re aware of your thoughts.

Question 12

What happens when you are willing to just let the world be something you are aware of?

Answer 12

It will let you be who you are. `

Question 13

Are you even a human being?

Answer 13

No…you are just watching one.

Question 14

What question should you ask constantly?

Answer 14

“Who am I?”

Question 15

Why don’t you feel the energy that you can “take on the world” all the time?

Answer 15

Because you block it by closing your heart and mind.

Question 16

What is the only thing you have to know with regards to ENERGY?

Answer 16

Opening allows energy in, and closing blocks it.

Question 17

How do you stay open to more and more energy–the enthusiasm, love, and joy of life?

Answer 17

Don’t close. It’s that simple.

Question 18

What should be your goal with respect to the subconscious?

Answer 18

That you have no more subconscious; you are aware of all thoughts.

Question 19

What’s the best approach to learning about your vulnerabilities and weaknesses?

Answer 19

Watch and notice how you defend the weak parts of yourself (99)

Question 20

How do you know when you are experiencing a clear decision point for growth?

Answer 20

You’ll notice a tightening inside as you prepare to defend yourself (100)

Question 21

What can you do when you notice the energy is disturbed (you are upset, fearful, etc.)

Answer 21

Relax behind it and let go of it…don’t try to change it, just make a game of relaxing in the face of it (106)

Question 22

Instead of getting bothered and upset, what can you do (specifically with your physiology)?

Answer 22

Relax your shoulders and relax the area around your heart (105)

Question 23

How often do you need to let go?

Answer 23

Every minute of every day (108)

Question 24

In order to be okay, what is it that people typically do (rules, etc.)?

Answer 24

What’s desirable or undesirable, what’s good or bad…we think we’re supposed to figure out how life should be and then make it that way, instead of just living life (113)

Question 25

What do your attempts to protect yourself from problems actually do?

Answer 25

It creates more problems (114)

Question 26

If you constantly try to control life, what happens instead?

Answer 26

You never fully live it (115)

Question 27

What is the root of all problems?

Answer 27

Fear (115)

Question 28

You must let go right away because it will not be easier later. How do you do that (2 steps)

Answer 28

1. Be aware that something is within you that must be released 2. Be aware that you are distinct from what you experience (118)

Question 29

If you don’t let go right away, what happens?

Answer 29

Consciousness gets sucked away instantaneously and focuses on just one energy. Now it takes serious work to let go (119-121)

Question 30

How should you view “problems”?

Answer 30

As agents for growth (128)

Question 31

What is the prerequisite to true freedom?

Answer 31

You decide that you will not suffer anymore (142)

Question 32

Why do we have to think about ourselves all the time? Why are so many thoughts about I, me, and mine?

Answer 32

You’re not OK inside, and you’re constantly trying to make yourself feel better. Stop obsessing over yourself and see what happens (144)

Question 33

How have you mistreated the psyche?

Answer 33

You’ve given it a responsibility that is incomprehensible, e.g., “I want everyone to like me…I never want to say anything wrong…I don’t want anything to happen that I don’t like, and I want everything I like to happen.”

Question 34

What is your mind always telling you about how to feel better on the inside?

Answer 34

That you have to change something on the outside.

Question 35

What are the alternatives to needing people or figuring out “how to be OK”?

Answer 35

Actually get to know people instead of needing them…Just live and experience life instead of using life to try to fix what’s wrong inside. (149)

Question 36

What can you do instead of listening to the perpetual problems of your psyche?

Answer 36

Wake up in the morning, look forward to the day, and not worry about what will happen. Your daily life can be like a vacation. Just enjoy all of it. (150)

Question 37

With any addiction, including listening to the problems of your psyche, what is the key word/action?

Answer 37

STOP. When all is said and done, you must physiologically STOP putting in motion the things that perpetuate the problem (whether it’s smoking, drinking, complaining, etc.) (150)

Question 38

How do you deal with the overactive, blabbering mind?

Answer 38

Just don’t participate in it. Don’t fight it. Just be quiet, and relax. You are not the thinking mind, you are aware of the thinking mind. Just sit in there quietly and consciously watch the mind. (153)

Question 39

What gives the mind all of its power?

Answer 39

Your attention. Withdraw attention, and the thinking mind falls away (154)

Question 40

How do the thoughts that you cling to hold you back, in the house metaphor?

Answer 40

We decorate the walls of your psyche with memories of past experiences and dreams of the future, which just reinforce our limited consciousness (189)

Question 41

How do you get outside of your own walls of thoughts in the metaphor of the house?

Answer 41

Just let everyday life take down the walls you hold around yourself. Don’t participate in supporting, maintaining, and building the fortress. (190)

Question 42

You have it all figured out: you know how everything is supposed to be, even in the future–views, goals, preferences, opinions, broken down into pieces and held together–all of these form what?

Answer 42

Your model of reality. But your model is NOT reality (193)

Question 43

How do you get beyond your model of reality?

Answer 43

Study what happens when the model doesn’t work (194)

Question 44

How can you REALLY see why you do things?

Answer 44

Stop doing them and see what happens. Do things outside of your comfort zone (195)

Question 45

Why do you not tell people what you really think? Why are you too self conscious to freely express yourself?

Answer 45

Because you have to stay on top of everything to be OK…you have to operate inside of your comfortable model of reality. (198)

Question 46

What is true spirituality–the act of going beyond yourself–and how often must you do so?

Answer 46

Every minute of every day (201)

Question 47

What you cling to become the building blocks of the ______.

Answer 47

Psyche. (207)

Question 48

You create thoughts that tie all the objects together and you cling to the entire structure. That structure becomes your ______.

Answer 48

Identity…your sense of self (208)

Question 49

No concepts no hopes no dreams no beliefs no security…and _____ goes on anyway.

Answer 49

Life (214)

Question 50

You have built a ______ concept of yourself that you hid behind

Answer 50

False (216)

Question 51

Events that happen in a ________ belong to that _______ and nothing else.

Answer 51

Moment – Moment (216)