Leonard Jacobson explains how we leave the present moment, become imprisoned by thought forms and function in the world as egos. He describes a second level of ego, which is completely independent of us and reveals the way to overcome its dominance in our lives.

We are living in difficult times. We are in the throes of a financial, environmental and social crisis, which we have brought upon ourselves, as a result of our unconsciousness. But a crisis is also an opportunity. It depends on how we respond.

Greed and self interest prevail upon this planet. Unconsciousness prevails. The way of the ego prevails. We believe in our beliefs, which then define us and limit us. We live in a remembered past or an imagined future, and we miss the only life that is really available to us, which is the present moment. We are constantly absorbed in thought and we do not realize that we are lost in illusion, nor do we have any sense of the implications of that simple truth.

We are the dreamers, dreaming that we are awake?

What will it take for us to awaken. What will it take to shake us out of our dream?

I have observed over the years that very few people have any interest in awakening from a happy dream. If things are going well, and the stock market is booming, and life is full of happy memories and a promising future, why would anyone choose to wake up out of that dream? I have also observed that when the dream becomes unbearable and full of suffering, most people simply try to change the dream. They live in the hope of a happier dream. They too have little interest in awakening from the dream.

(more…)