Ego and the brain

Do you know how we are connected physically and mentally? Where does the power that keeps us alive come from? When you leave the body, the body dies. Where does this power go?

Most of us are involved in our daily routine of life on earth. In addition to all the scientific and technological advances that we have made, we have ample evidence that our mental health is deteriorating. This is because most people do not even know how the brain works. Here I will try to help you understand my mental understanding. You don’t have to believe what I’m saying, but please try to challenge your mind and see if what I’m writing makes sense.

Clearly, there is much more wisdom than just thinking about work. When we look at our body, we think that it is our brain where all our intelligence is found. It is because the brain is the part of the body that we use to think and reason. If we do not use the brain for any reason, we will feel paralyzed. The brain protects us from the elements and helps us to take positive steps to avoid the danger. Without the brain, we would not be able to live or understand our world and our mind. Life can be challenging if we can not use our brains.

The brain therefore plays a vital role in our ability to perceive the truth. It is an organ that we use to understand our mind. It is an organ that helps us to see reality. Misuse can lead to physical and mental illness. It is an organ that we use to express our abilities and personality. Without a brain, the brain cannot function fully. Now what’s the point? As I can see, the mind is a source of (existing) energy that keeps us alive.

For simplicity, we can divide it into two parts, with less and less information. But really, we have one idea. Self-love or self-esteem works on the part of the mind. It is our desire to survive on this planet. It is a place and it owns it and wants to control everything. It builds (grows) knowledge and life experience to become a well-defined and hidden belief. It wants to live forever and is bound by time. It has great power to deceive itself. We need to know ourselves in order to interpret the truth before us. We also need the brain to improve our egos. Without ego, we cannot function as individuals. The brain allows the ego to acquire consciousness and awareness, which is the property of the mind. So one can see how the brain and ego are connected.

However, our mind is unconscious and is connected to the brain.  Whatever we do in life, we always try to appease our unconscious mind. For example, when we pray to God or to something else, we try to clear up our thoughts. We do the same thing when we play music, dance, sing, etc. Our unconscious mind is the piano that we use to play the song we want. Piano keys are the words we use to produce a specific sound. We can play a good song or a sad song, depending on how we use the words. Therefore, should we not try to understand how our unconscious mind works?

When we look at our body, wisdom fills directly, from the center (brain) to the level of each cell. Yes, there is an idea that happens even at the cellular level. Every cell in our body knows its function and how it will function. Skin cells recognize their role in protecting the external environment, lung cells that can carry oxygen, kidney cells that can cleanse our blood, digestive cells that can digest food, and so on. All of this is under unconscious control. Even our immune system, which is undergoing treatment, is under unconscious control. The conscious mind, in which the ego works, has very little control but has an indirect influence on all of these areas. Therefore, ignoring negative thoughts and taking them for granted can be a daunting task. Still, that is what we were doing and are doing today.

Now what happens when we do some damage to our brain? A person may have a stroke or head injury when he falls. A person may suffer from some degenerative brain disease such as Alzheimer’s or motor neuron disease, etc. The signs and symptoms we will suffer will depend on the location of the affected brain. We may lose consciousness, lose our memory, or become paralyzed, etc. When this happens, our self-esteem or power will not work properly. We will feel paralyzed. When a person’s brain dies, the conscious mind or the ego cannot function at all. Still, an unconscious mind can keep important functions in check, and a person can continue to live. When we turn off the health support system, the body dies as the mind separates from the body. Yes, our brain is like a computer program. If it does not work for any reason, the software (brain) will crash.

A complete example of an attitude trapped in a crippled body is the story of Dr. Stephen Hawkins. He was a British scientist who suffered 55 years of motor neuron disease, which affected only the motor areas of his brain. Since other areas of his brain were unaffected, his ego (the conscious mind) could function normally; that is, he was able to think and reason. Thus, it is clear that certain areas of our brain are involved in maintaining our consciousness and awareness, unless the ego will not function.

In the Brisbane Courier-Mail Qweekend Magazine dated 24-4-2021, there was a story about three adults aged 20,21 and 22 from different backgrounds who died in their sleep. They fall asleep without waking up. They suffer from epilepsy and die from SUDEP (Unexpected Death in the Fall). This catastrophe shows that any brain damage can cause it to malfunction, and our health may be at risk.

Our mental and physical health depends on our ability to use our brain not only to build physically but also to understand how our brain works. We must learn how the ego influences the unconscious mind. We need to know how our thoughts affect our thinking and how our thoughts affect our actions. Our vision of the time we have created makes us timeless. We are trapped in a web of time and are constantly moving between the past, the present and the future. But really, there is no such thing as time.

There is an infinite magnitude around us. It is as real as the great time of our creation. The only thing that separates these things is our perception. Everyone experiences this timeless length from time to time when what you see in the mind and what you see becomes one. But because the ego is so dependent on thinking and the fear of endless disappearance it is impossible to see it.

To feel the infinite magnitude, one has to go to the top of the mountains or out in the woods away from any man-made structures. Here the gravity of nature is so powerful that it is easy to see the state of the viewer in your mind, and what you see becomes one thing. But one can find this anywhere. When this happens, you will find that we have only one meaning. Your mind meets eternity in this state, and you are fully aware of your inner and outer world. The ego is there, and it is not in the mind. You will see that you are also a part of this timeless aspect. No thinking but just awareness. But if the ego uses words to describe what you see, you will return to our normal space.

From the above perspective, one can see that we have only one mind, and that ego is not all mind. The ego cannot function successfully without a healthy brain. The brain allows the ego to think. The brain allows us to see reality. The ego commits itself to time without realizing that it is part of an infinite dimension.

What the ego is building is an escaping world today. The more one tries to escape the truth, the more out of contact with the truth one becomes. It confuses our ideas, and we will suffer from many mental health problems.

Therefore, it is time to better understand our self-esteem and to know our thoughts and ideas. We must use our brain to understand the immense magnitude and lose the fear of death before our mind separates from the body. Without realizing it, you are like a ship without an engine in the sea of ​​life. The raging seas will strike you. You will get worse when you get where you are going. However, if you want to be a ship that can plunge into rough seas without much effort, empower yourself with a self-knowledge engine.

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Impact of drug addiction on society

Although drug abuse may seem like an uncontrollable addiction, every day someone tries drugs for the first time and becomes addicted. If we know that drugs are not good for us, then why do we continue to insist on getting involved in them? The problem for children and adolescents today lies in the fact that many parents work full-time. We no longer live in a country where only one parent goes to work in the morning. Instead, we now have to fight against both working parents (sometimes two full-time jobs). So, if so — who is looking after the children? Certainly. 

It starts clean enough. A child or teenager sits alone with friends in a private home or after school hours when suddenly someone is producing a pack of cigarettes. Soon, the cigarettes were transferred and everyone took a drag. A question arises “Why do teenagers sense the desire to use narcotics or liquor ?” Possibly the reply lies in the proof that in numerous examples kids notice their parents performing stuff that they should not do, such as drinking liquor or smoking in front of them. 

The situation is the same for many young people when they are faced with the decision to take drugs/alcohol from parties. It is the parent’s (but not the school’s) responsibility to sit down with his child and talk face-to-face about the natural dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

There is a reason why there are age limits where you are legally allowed to buy cigarettes and alcohol. However, despite this fact, children still find spaces and ways to surround themselves.

For some, the temporary rebellion against their parents may prove disastrous. Every year, children get involved in drugs. Some join gangs and others learn a far more serious lesson when accidental drug overdose leads to premature death. 

Schools have tried to take action to end drug abuse among the youth by providing compulsory classes on the dangers of drug abuse but the problem remains. In the end, the only thing that seems to reduce drug use and alcohol abuse is early intervention by parents who not only care for their children but also care enough to talk to them about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

Eventually, there will come a point in a child’s life where what their parents say to them will not carry almost as much weight. If we can help even one child not only to know the difference between right and wrong but also to help them develop the confidence and strength of character to resist drug and alcohol abuse, then we will be truly successful. Until then, all we can do is continue as clear examples of how mature adults should behave and hope for the best. 

Substance abuse and mental illness go hand in hand as drug addicts are twice as likely to experience mood swings and anxiety compared to normal people, and vice versa. According to the 2019 National Drug Abuse and Health Survey (NSDUH), 24.5 percent (or 61.2 million adults) aged 18 or over suffer from any mental illness (AMI) or substance abuse disorder (SUD). In addition, 16.8 percent (or 42 million people) suffer from AMI but no SUD. 

Occurrence: A coincidence or morel 

The high incidence of drug-related disorders associated with psychiatric disorders does not represent a causal association between the two. 

Moreover, it does not show any sequence at the beginning of the problem, simply because many things can contribute to SUDs and AMI, most of which are independent. 

For example, it is important to see if symptoms have progressed to a certain level (with DSM) to ensure the diagnosis of any psychiatric disorder. However, subclinical symptoms can also lead to drug use. Although it is always difficult to say what comes first between AMIs and SUDs. Still. There are three possibilities. 

Drug use can lead to mental illness: Drug or substance abuse can have an effect that causes one or more symptoms of mental illness in the user. Evidence supporting that may come from a well-known association between the increased risk of mental illness and marijuana in some users. 

Mental Illness Leading to Drug Abuse: Researchers have been discussing the potential role of psychiatric disorders in drug use. People who report obvious, mild, or depressive disorders are at risk of using drugs as a treatment. Gradually, as a person feels more powerful in drug use, they become dependent on it, which leads to addiction. 

Specific factors: Certain factors include genetic predisposition, cerebral palsy, or previous exposure to stress or trauma, which can lead to AMIs and SUDs. 

All three of these conditions can manifest themselves (at different levels of different people) in making AMI and SUD cases co-occurring. 

Exploring common features :

Genetics has a role to play in both, AMI and SUD. Genetic factors may be the most common link between these two conditions, which are known to contribute to the development of addiction and 

other mental illnesses. According to researchers, genetics contribute 40-60 percent of a person’s risk of addiction. At the same time, genes can also indirectly influence the development of the SUD by altering a person’s response to stress or a person’s tendency to develop risk-taking and innovative approaches. 

Similar brain regions are involved. It can be more than coincidental that in the case of both SUD and AMI, the same areas of the brain are affected. For example, addictive substances and mental illnesses such as depression and other mental illnesses affect dopamine, a chemical that carries messages from one neuron to another. 

This combination of brain areas affected by AMI and SUDs may indicate that there may be some brain changes that can be caused by any of these and affect another. 

A report published in the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) suggests that mental illness and changes in brain function often increase a person’s tendency to use substances by reducing awareness of their negative effects, increasing their positive effects, or relieving side effects caused by mental disorders. 

Getting mentally healthy is about timely treatment 

Various behavioral therapies are effective in treating comorbid conditions. However, it is important to look at other related factors such as the age of the patients and the specific medications used among other things while continuing with planned treatment. 

Keeping all these points in mind, it’s the need of an hour to overcome this extreme situation. We all should have to stand by this evil in society and take an appropriate step for well-being. Always remember that faith and belief are the essential elements that can change the whole world. All we need to do is to take the first step with a belief to eradicate this sin from our society.

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My life that i am living

Do you really think life has a meaning? No, I guess as it cannot be defined in  a short phrase by commenting on certain facts that may have taken place in the past. But I think it is based on day to day happenings or I can say that it has a new meaning every second or the next day. It changes its nature, behavior or the meaning that one wants to call it by.

Life has a different meaning for different people out there. There are billions  of people around the world who feel depressed or have anxiety issues in life. They had a different view point about it and that too varies from person to person. I had written an article on that. Please check out why people feel depressed in life?

Let us come back to the point of how life changes its meaning every second. I will take you somewhere when you were holding the finger of your father while looking for something new in the market. That too was a life that you were living free of all worries or free from the stress that life is giving us nowadays.

Then you joined the school and had some great friends who were funny, intelligent or the average one’s like me. That particular point of time you were living with your friends was something that you would have never imagined would end in the next few years. I too had friends with whome we used to open our lunch packs within the class or to keep those stones together to get away from some harsh teachers.

But that too did not last for long and we entered the higher classes and opted for different subject  streams to learn something that we were interested in. I opted for science stream and got some new friends who were so nasty that we tried to stay apart. But who knows what life is all about. The day you get in touch with some new people, they definitely leave an impact on your lives whether good or bad and you also come across some good people who like the way you are and accept you as a friend. Then to go  out during class breaks and share some biscuits and all that stealing the last one from the packet or the whole of it in the beginning. In the practical classes, pointing towards the crush of your school days made it more worth than one could ever imagine in life.

As the time passed, the farewell parties struck your mind and the time to say goodbyes to your friends who were taking classes with you became real. At that point of time, the importance of being with them from years is realized as they are leaving their footprints in your life.

It is a matter of fact that at that point of time you only care about saying goodbyes to your friends and nothing else matters for you in the world.

Some among them stay in touch and some of them disappear and that too when the concept of social media was faraway from our school days. Days pass and everybody gets busy just to find a way to survive and look forward for their better careers. This is just another beginning or the new meaning of life when one feels worried for the first time in life.

Everybody wishes for a better life and wants to go  ahead in the race of horses. Some of your friends either start their own business or look for jobs in private or government sector. Let me bring here the Sir Winston Churchill's saying and he quote “In life if you are going through hell, keep going”

Here the life has  a different meaning, some friends among you make it to get a job or start their business while some of them remain stuck as  I could not use the word fail because they haven’t failed yet as some brilliant minds are coming across my mind right now who still await their results from their life and have opted for a  better life than those who are settled. For some guys who still look for business ideas please click the link best low budget business ideas

Life is a never ending process, then comes the concept of marriage. It was in 2016 when one of my dear friends introduced me to the concept of getting married. That time, social media was on the rise and the whatsapp chats became common. I never wanted to get married then and I laughed at his question, I said no way I have to live my life to the extent that I can ever live. But the other side of the story was that those who were studying with you were getting married and had some beautiful little chaps with them and that friend of mine  also moved on and got married.

But I was not that much settled in life, no doubt I was getting a good salary but there was something else that I  was looking for in my life. In the meantime, I was in touch with few of my friends who were working in the private sector and we had a good laugh about life and the school days every time we meet each other. We usually used to talk about jobs, the business ideas and those beautiful girls on whom we had a crush in school days, no matter that they were married now and all that blah blah.

On occasions we used to help each other financially when we needed it as we all were earning now and never asked each other for returns but all of us were looking for partners and one of my friends even got married a year or two ago.

While looking for marriage partners, few people approached and we used to call each other and decide that it is not a big deal to say no without even looking at that person because the concept of marriage has changed over the years and nobody wants to play it in a bad way.

The domestic violence cases are on rise and the family issues are taking a heavy toll on lives. The recent suicide cases have become a great social issues and needs to be stopped. The young lives are lost due the depression that the family matters have poured into their lives.

I used to call my friends and feel relaxed in life while spending some time in each other's company and I think it should be that way when you have a long way to go ahead. I am satisfied and settled with no more materialistic greed in this world. But to have a life that is sufficient and is fulfilling your needs is enough to move on.

I have a bunch of friends who used to laugh about life and we could hardly meet on vacations where we shared some mutual interests, disagrees with one another on certain facts. But to have them and share the stuff is something where you could find peace in life but the seriousness of getting married is that we are facing nowadays and can’t run away anymore from this reality.

Perhaps we need to register and make a profile on shadi.com ( Hahahaha just for laugh ) but who register first will be a great fun to know, I laugh again Haha. Forget about the profiles there, someone needs to be kashmiri first, not a Punjabi.

The concept of marriage seems to have changed a lot and if you approach anybody, the conditions are put forth and you have to enter into the contract and if you violate you have to face the consequences later on…..

But yes the concept  has changed, if you wish to be with someone, you have fallen for; approach the person and get married and if it is not that easy just take your time and move on with no regrets.

I have written this article in memory of those friends who are still in touch and for those also who are not. I wish you all a happy life where you could stay healthy and find peace and I wish I could stand by your side whenever you need me. Accept your life as it is and don’t compare yourself with others then, you may be insulting yourself. Explore yourself to the new extent and find  new ways to live your life to a great extent. This will bring a new meaning of life for you.

If you find this article is connected to you in any way please share it with your friends.

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Author: Shabeer Hassan Wani

Contact: shabeerulhassan@gmail.com

What is conditional love and unconditional love?

For some it may sound strange but for many this phrase has its own importance. We all know that we care and show our love towards friends and family but if the same becomes conditional, then it loses its importance of being loved. In this post we will discuss conditional love and the unconditional one

What is conditional One:

Conditional love, yes you are reading it right. It is a kind of love when you are loved by another person under some conditions. This may be called a fair weather love because it favours you when everything goes well according to the conditions laid by the person who has demanded it. It may go well for a certain period of time but does not last forever because the behavior of a person changes with time and i have written an article just click on the link why people change.

What is unconditional love?

It is a kind of love which demands nothing and has no conditions from either side. It may last for long and will remain the same in all seasons because there are no demands that need to be fulfilled at  a particular point of time. But the mutual respect and understanding pushes both of them to be supportive to each other and face the rest of their life together.

In conditional love the demands put forth by one of the partners may not be ignored because it may be the outcome of past or may be feeling insecure about his or her life which should be taken into consideration but that should not be put forth in such a way that it will define the overall personality of the person ignoring all all other beautiful parameters of her life. Love should not be compromised at all. It is a blessing that one should shower free of cost and should not wait for the interest rates. The things which are compromised may not be called love at all, rather it may seem like  a business where demands will be met on conditions or on the points that the two parties have made while formulating the conditions.

Unconditional love is the kind of love that nature has provided us or we can say it is the purest form of love that God has for us. It is about offering something good and demands no exchanges. It is a blessing that one can have in his or her life without thinking or compromising much. Love should be unconditional and if it is not it will be treated as a business where the shares depend on the conditions and the inflation of the market goes up and down with time. The compromises or the conditions that need to be met or the consequences will be different. If one among the two fails to stick to the conditions, there will be frustration, feuds and can tense the relations at any point of time which can affect the beautiful lives in the long run. But there are people who have a strong belief about conditional love, their views should be respected and let them live according to their own conditions. It is a life anything can work for anyone, a matter of point and time. 

While writing this my phone started ringing and the call was from my friend whom i have been with 10 years ago and the talk of the town started from love which he was looking for in his life. He was excited to have a friend or marry a girl of his choice who will suit his personality or will be able to understand the poetry of Galib ( an urdu poet  1797-1869 ) and the conversation goes on and on. But when I asked if this is conditional from your side, he replied that I was looking for someone who has the same ideology or the same attitude towards life. He was eager to be with someone who could understand the lines of one of the renowned Urdu poets of all time (Galib) rather than who can focus on the materialistic world.

Now he is engaged about getting married and has no interest in listening to his romantic lines of poetry or his philosophy that he has carried  in his heart for years.

He further added that I have compromised on that because there was a gap which needs to be filled and the only way to fill that is to get married with a person whose way of looking at her life is different. But there are no conditions from  that person who is not interested in his  ideology or the aspects of life that my friend has carried with him over the years. I laughed at his choice of looking for someone who could understand poetry but at the same time i was thinking that the love for the poetry is unconditional and will go nowhere from his heart.  He is optimistic and loves to read multiple books about religion or philosophy and is keen to know about life and what actually it is.  But he is going to be with someone whom he knows from years and i wish them a good and beautiful life ahead together.

It is a debate that will go on and on but the love that nature has given us is unconditional and we should follow that with an open heart and clear mind rather than to think about the future which is yet to come. The relationships will be made with more ease  and the hearts will not be broken because it is hard to let go of a person whom you like and care about but what else can be done if the love becomes conditional. People go and life moves on but the heart and mind are stuck when you lose the person with open eyes and you have no choice than to wish him/her a good and beautiful life. So be the one who offers unconditional love  and the world will be a better place to live in. 

Let me end this with the beautiful lines  of Galib:

Ishq ne Galib Nikamma kar diya

Varna hum bhi the  aadmi kaam ke.

Aik baar aur ulajhna hai tumse

Bohat kuch suljhane ke liye.

Zindagi shayad phir se rastay main mila de

Magar yaad rakhna tum muje kho chukey ho.

Author: Shabeer Hassan Wani