Narrative feeds the self - RSA

Narrative feeds the self

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  • Mindfulness
  • Social brain

"As words and thought are eased out of the mind, so the self weakens. There is no narrative to feed it...Like ghosts, angels, gods, 'self', it turns out, is an idea we invented, a story we tell ourselves. It needs language to survive. The words create meaning, the meaning purpose, the purpose narrative. But here, for a little while, there is no story, no rhetoric, no deceit. Here is silence and acceptance; the pleasure of a space that need not be imbued with meaning. Intensely aware, of the flesh, the breath, the blood, consciousness allows the 'I' to slip away."

- Tim Parks, Teach us to Sit Still, p 330-331.

For those who want to know more, I recommend an essay by Tim Parks in today's Aeon magazine.

 

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  • Thanks, a useful share. 30 mins a day of muscle relaxation is a wonderful tonic for me.

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