How To Silence The Dreary Inner Voice Of Your Ego

Whenever we don't have much to do, our brain lights up with our own private Default Mode Network which is really just our ego talking. We will be sitting in the doctor's or dentist's office, or riding the bus and this inner voice will start droning on. It will start in criticizing others or ourselves. Or it will replay yet again the time we dropped our favorite cousin's birthday cake. Stress chemicals and inflammation rise up in our bodies and by the time we are old, the dreary content has actually affected our brain structurally, shrinking the hypocamus, the part of the brain responsible for memories. Prayer, chanting, mantras have been scientifically proven to soothe this voice, give us more space for silence and reduce stress chemicals and inflammation in our bodies.

Transcript

Everybody's ego talks to them all the time on the inside. It's called the default mode network. So if we're sitting on the bus or subway or in the doctor's office, It's all the thoughts that start rising up in us. We start listening to this voice. It's like almost like in a recording. And it will just go all over the place. We might remember something that five years ago that embarrassed us. We might replay that in our mind. We might remember people we've got grudges against. Our mind goes all over the place. And we're listening to this all the time, Except when we're really busy. You know, If we're really focused on a task, It will go away. But otherwise, Wouldn't we slow down at all? Will start hearing this material. Now, Many of us think it's us. We identify with this voice. Yep, That's me. I did this 10 years ago. I've been embarrassed about myself ever since. All these stories. Thing is. It's hard on our health. You know, Just listening to this inner voice. Can actually activate our stresses. Our body starts responding to the content. You know, We might remember having a fight with our best friend. Our body starts to get tense and we might start getting stress responses like cortisol going up in our bodies, Inflammation rising as a result of what we're listening to and buying into So. . . You know, The scientists can even see. When they look at the brain, The parts of the brain that light up when somebody is in their default. Mode network. Somebody who meditates a lot. Different parts of their brain are lit up. And this is what I want to talk about. It isn't just meditation. It's prayer, Chanting. You know, Sing your mantra. What those habits do. Is actually over time. They reduce the default mode network. They reduce the strength of it. Yeah, It's why with enlightened people, Their heads become very silent a lot of the time. And if there are any thoughts flowing through, The enlightened person is totally non-attached to them. They're not reacting physically at all to them. And this is really good for health because it means that we're not going into fight or flight or getting inflamed with the content. So any of us can do this. We can all train ourselves. You know, To have a 20-minute meditation practice in the morning. Another one at night, Even 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at night will help reduce the power of this droning voice, Our default mode network, Which just drones on and on about our lives. And you know, Over time. What that does. It actually hurts. It actually changes our brain structure if we spend decades and decades and decades listening to this material. Yeah, It actually injures one of the ways that the brain forms memories. So, You know, There it is. It's like this default mode network stops us. Will stop us, If we listen to it for decades, To form new memories, New patterns. You know, To Yeah, To form new patterns. When we're younger, It's easier. To change. You know, It's like the ruts are not as deep. You know, Start meditating, You know, Chanting. You know, You probably have a better old age when it's not bitter. Because this default network, If we listen to it endlessly, It will just turn into small-minded, Bitter old people. So pray, Meditate every day. It will help reduce stress in your body. We know all this. Reduces stress and inflammation. And it taps you to meaning and makes you. . . You know what else it does? It sends your blood more to your extremities. Because you're relaxed. And it reduces the kind of feeling of the wall between you and the rest of the world. It reduces You don't. Defensiveness. You know, Prayer, Will and meditation chanting, They all help us feel part of all that is. Yeah, Less threatened. Okay. So, You know, Understanding all this, Maybe it will be easier to set up a practice and to do it. Yeah. Okay. Bless your heart.

Reviews

Thank you very much. This is so interesting and effective for explaining and helping you move away from that dreary indeed inner voice which pulls you down day to day and affects your well being in the future.

Always grateful for your wisdom! I was so happy to be on the Zoom session this past Sunday. 🙏 See you Saturday.

So interesting how the brain works! The “default mode network “!! So powerful. I’ll keep meditating 😁