Freeing Yourself from Yourself

Over two years ago I read a great article by philosopher Hilary Lawson called Stephen Hawking is Wrong. Lawson claims that scientists such as Hawking put “closures,” on reality as they divide the world into things, explanations, and theories. We mistake these closures for reality itself, losing reality in the process. Lawson explains that:

“…the world is not a thing or a combination of things, for these categories-these closures, as I call them-are the outcome of our descriptions. Instead, the world is open and it is we who close it. Through our closures we grasp the openness of the world as things, and out of these things we build stories and models through which we are able to intervene. But these stories and models are not the world, nor could they in principle come close to being the world.”

Scientists aren’t the only people putting closures on what naturally is open. We too, place a ton of closures on ourselves - believing in our thoughts and judgments of ourselves - rather than experiencing the reality of who we really are. A large part of practicing mindfulness and meditation is about learning to see these closures and practice letting them go. As I tell my clients, friends, and students all the time, we have built a prison in which we are trapped, but the prison door has never been locked; you can step out and be free anytime you wish. We typically don’t step out though because we feel safe and comfortable in our prison, but even the most comfortable prison is still a prison.

How can we step out of this prison? Mindfulness. Mindfulness is the ability you have to be awake regardless of what you are experiencing.  By simply allowing things to be, while bringing clear attention to the moment, you rest in what I call your natural wisdom. Your natural wisdom allows you to fully experience your thoughts, feelings, body sensations, etc., but keeps you protected from them, allowing you to be less overwhelmed and swayed by pleasure and pain. Your freedom lies in seeing your closures and choosing to step away – not through suppression, but through mindful awareness. The prison door is open.  What are you waiting for?