Microcosmic Awareness

Just me and my universe

Spirituality often has a stated goal of helping to achieve Cosmic Awareness in one form or another, but awareness of self — microcosmic awareness — is at least as important, in my view.

The ego has a tendency to not want to stay within defined limits. It wants to expand and intrude into more space and time than you actually occupy.

Awareness needs to include awareness of your own body, the fact that your mind is situated within you, within the extent of your physical self and the duration of your lifetime.

But the ego doesn't like to be restrained. It will fight back against meditation that tries to compel it to recognize its own rational boundaries. I've experienced this psychical push-back in the form of sudden chills, or feeling like I have a sore throat coming on. It can be a struggle but it's worth the effort.

A spirituality that strengthens the self has to first acknowledge the self, and that the power and importance and longevity the ego would like to believe it has isn't real. The cosmos encompasses you, not the other way around.