Your self-view is but a spectral projection,
Mirrored by the mind in silent reflection.
Our own unconscious mind is capable of generating feelings of guilt, regret, or self-loathing, especially if left unchecked. This can cause our internal world to become a personal ’hell’ that we may inadvertently project into reality.
The second part of this perspective builds upon a psychological theory: our view of ourselves and the world is fundamentally shaped by our unconscious mind. This means that our past experiences, emotions, and biases—many of which we may not even be aware of—create the lens through which we perceive reality. It’s as though we’re all watching a movie directed by our unconscious minds—an idea that takes us into the realm of mindbending oncepts like those seen in Inception!
Insights from Philosophy and Religion
This perspective aligns with various philosophical and religious teachings. For instance, Buddhism posits that our suffering, or Dukkha, can often be a form of personal ’hell’ we create for ourselves through our unenlightened actions and desires. It’s a cycle of suffering that mirrors the unchecked emotions of guilt, regret, and self-loathing our unconscious mind might generate.
Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung also believed in the powerful role the unconscious mind plays in shaping our view of ourselves and the world. He introduced the concept of the ’shadow’, referring to the unconscious aspects of our personality. By understanding and integrating our ’shadow’, we could achieve self-realization, reducing the dissonance between our conscious and unconscious selves.
Similarly, German philosopher Immanuel Kant argued that our perceptions of reality are fundamentally shaped by the structures of our mind. This resonates with the idea that our unconscious experiences and biases can dictate how we perceive and interact with reality.
Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, also had profound insights into the workings of the unconscious mind. He believed that our unconscious mind houses repressed desires and traumas that can lead to emotional distress and neuroses when left unchecked. This aligns with the depiction of an internal ’hell’ driven by feelings of guilt, regret, or self-loathing.
Finally, Stoicism, an ancient philosophy, posits that our emotional suffering is mainly due to incorrect judgments and lack of self-awareness. Stoics believed in understanding the difference between what we can and cannot control, a wisdom that could help manage the projections of our unconscious mind onto our reality.
In essence, across multiple philosophies and religions, we find the recurring theme of the unconscious mind’s power in shaping our reality. Recognizing and understanding this influence can be the key to mitigating the adverse effects of unchecked emotions and biases. It’s a step towards taking control of the movie that our unconscious mind directs – the film of our perceived reality.
The more you understand, the less it bothers you when others don’t.
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