Written by Mathew Naismith
As
the following explains, the pleasure centre is a part of the brain that gives
us a feeling of enjoyment; this enjoyment is often referred to by the ego as a positive.
Of course we can become so addicted to this enjoyment that we, the ego, will
most often refer to everything that isn't of this enjoyment as being negative
and even toxic; this is why in Western spirituality that there are more judged negatives
at present than ever. Yes, to be honest, a lot of us are in this state.
Let's
say we are into light and love or materialism or anything else that excites our
pleasure centre. Everything else other than what excites our pleasure centre
often becomes negative or we deliberately become ignorant to the things that
don't excite our pleasure centre. What people like me write about is often critically
judged as being negative and even toxic, mainly because it doesn't excite the pleasure
centre, in actuality, awareness often takes away the enjoyment from our pleasure
centre. Let's be honest, we are presently just as much if not more focused on what
enjoyment our pleasure centre gives us than ever throughout human history.
Extract: You may have heard that the brain has a pleasure center that lets us know when something is enjoyable and
reinforces the desire for us to perform the same pleasurable action again. This
is also called the reward circuit, which includes all kinds of pleasure, from sex to laughter to certain types of drug use.
How many Western spiritually minded people deliberately
ignore everything around them that doesn't give enjoyment to the pleasure
centre these days? Now, how often is everything not conducive to the enjoyment
of the pleasure centre critically judged as being negative and even toxic?
Let's say I am an empath, a person who
feels their environment, is everything that doesn't excite my pleasure centre
negative? No, but to a lot of empaths and spiritually aware people this has become
the case it would seem. To be truly spiritually aware, of a state that Buddhism
calls pure awareness, a state of pure bliss to the ego, everything that doesn't
excite the pleasure centre of our mind isn't negative or bad. Just because the feelings
we get don't excite our pleasure centre, doesn't mean it's negative, it simply
means it doesn't excite our pleasure centre. Of course the pleasure centre
being about pleasure, the pleasure centre is often controlled by the ego, not
just of the ego but controlled by the ego, it is wise to become aware of this
in my mind.
Yes, as of any time in human history, we
are controlled by the ego, meaning, the ego is in control of our reality just
as much if not more than any other time in human history. Let's be honest with
ourselves, it's presently all about exciting our pleasure centre while deliberately
staying ignorant to anything that threatens the pleasure centres enjoyment. In
actuality, lets' be truthfully honest even more, we are living more in fear
than ever in regards to Westernised spirituality.
A state of pure awareness means we become
aware of everything, not just to the things our pleasure centre desires. If I
was to only become aware of the things that excite my pleasure centre, would I
be truly and honestly spiritually aware? This state of pure awareness has nothing
to do with exciting the pleasure centre, and that everything else that doesn't
excite this pleasure centre is negative. Are we truly going to experience the
kind of bliss found in this state of absolute pure awareness by only being
aware of the things that excite our pleasure centre? There is absolutely no infinite
bliss to be found in continually exciting the pleasure centre because the
pleasure centre is pure ego, not pure awareness. Yes, we will find that by exciting
the pleasure centre we will momentarily feel blissful and happy, of course the
ego being the ego, it always desires more and more excitement, more and more
pleasure.
Being
truly spiritually aware has nothing to do with continually exciting the
pleasure centre. Considering that to excite the pleasure
centre all the time takes the deliberate ignorance of everything that doesn't
excite the pleasure centre, this kind of state has nothing to do with awareness.
There is no awareness in this, just pure and utter deliberate ignorance construed
by the ego in control to keep the ego amused, happy and excited.
Can this state of pure awareness, a state where
there is no separation and where one becomes one with everything void of the limitations
of pleasing our pleasure centres, give us feelings of bliss and love? Going by
my own experiences, I would say yes, but you must realise, it's only the ego
that can feel pleasure, for it's only the ego that needs to feel pleasure to
exist. So in all, in our present state of ego, we will feel pleasure, however,
it is wise to be aware that it's the ego in control that desires to be only aware
of what excites it's pleasure centre, not just of the physical brain but of the non-physical mind as well.
As usual, what I have written here will not
excite too many people's pleasure centres, the actual truth about ourselves as
a whole rarely does. Please, be aware that a true state of awareness isn't all
about pleasing our pleasure centres, of course the ego in control will, as always,
state otherwise. Simply, don't allow your pleasure centre, the ego; to control
you while becoming truly aware as opposed to partially aware of what pleases
the pleasure centre that is apart of us
all. Be aware that (all) pleasures
felt are of the ego, also, don't try to control the ego and it's pleasure
centre, but don't allow it to control you either.