I can’t tell you how many of my clients admit to struggling, even deeply suffering, with the idea of death and becoming ‘nothing’ (the term they all tend to use). This seems to have become (or always has been?) an all-pervasive human fear.
But those who enter into the so-called nothingness, discover that putting words to the experience is very limited. One word for it could be nothing, the other is everything. And since YOU (in your essence, as consciousness) are there to observe this nothingness, you can’t actually be or experience nothing.
Have you ever actually experienced nothing? There’s always something, some awareness (even if it doesn’t reach this human consciousness)… so I would say no one has.
This is a wonderful entry into transformative personal therapy. I welcome this issue to arise, as it allows us to go deeply into the inner and discover the truth of Being. Once experienced, suffering dissipates, health shines through and all is seen with a new, clear, usually loving, vision.
The following are just a few quotes from masters on the concept of nothingness. Meditate on their words, When faced with the fear of death or ‘being nothing’, sit with it, go into and through it, breathe, and do not abandon yourself no matter what: It is merely a doorway, a portal, to a beautiful understanding of Universal Truth.
‘But words like emptiness, nothingness, have been condemned, and you have accepted the idea. Rather than exploring the beauty of nothingness. It is utter silence. It is soundless music, there is no joy that can be compared to it. It is sheer blissfulness.
Because of this experience, Gautam Buddha called his ultimate encounter with himself nirvana. Nirvana means nothingness. And once you are at ease with your nothingness, all tensions, conflicts, worries disappear. You have found the source of life, which knows no death.’
—Osho (Fame, Fortune and Ambition)
“The miracle is that when there is nothing else for your consciousness to be conscious of, the consciousness turns upon itself. It becomes a circle. Finding no obstacle, finding no object, it comes back to the source.”
—Osho (Love, Freedom and Aloneness)
‘Once you realize that the person is merely a shadow of the reality, but not the reality itself, you cease to fret and worry. You agree to be guided from within and life becomes a journey into the unknown.’
—Maharaj, I Am That—-Maharaj, I Am That
‘Have you felt the all-embracing emptiness?’
—Maharaj, I Am That—-Maharaj, I Am That
‘When our thoughts look real, we live in a world of suffering. When they look subjective, we live in a world of choice. When they look arbitrary, we live in a world of possibility. And when we see them as illusory, we wake up inside a world of dreams.’
—The Inside-Out Revolution, Michael Neill
‘Thank you for allowing me to be nothing.’
—Mooji
For some of the books that these quotes came from, and more self-help resources, click here.
Although we may call it ‘therapy’, I prefer to think of it as a treasure hunt. With a little curiosity and courage, a good dose of willingness to explore the inner terrain, and a caring guide, each of us can discover the pure gold within that is our True Self. True, it may be buried under layers of muck, but that’s where the exciting adventure begins, and the true riches can be found. Schedule a session online or in-person. Affordable, efficient, effective therapy.
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