Welcome to Day 19 of our 40-Day Retreat.
Yesterday we spoke about intuition -accessing information from the universal source. Today I want to focus on another important function that we have, that I think is worthy of our attention. It is memory. When the intellect begins to process, it has to pull information from memory - the storehouse of information. But sometimes we do not give enough attention to this function.
Analogy of computer
Think of your computer which also has a memory function. It can store lots of information, so you have to be very particular about the quality of information you store in the computer, and to ensure that it does not have viruses. You don’t bring in information that is defective. As you gain experience with the computer, you begin to have anti-virus software. You begin to clean up your storehouse of information because the better the quality of information, the easier will be your processing. Whatever you process, the more true your output will be.
If you think of that and your own ability to receive information, store it and process it, then you will be very particular about your memory and the way you store information. Just as you can store video and audio files, and other data files in your computer and put them together so you get a clearer picture of what you want, similarly, everything you hear and see, everything that you give attention to, everything that impresses itself upon you, stays in your memory. So this is a very important field to give attention to.
Is your memory out of control?
The reason why I say that, is because the memory continuously sends back information to you, whether you sometimes want it or not. When you do not manage this source of information properly, then anything can prompt your memory without your control. You get into a situation and it brings back a flood of memories. Sometimes you can’t manage that especially in painful situations. You can’t manage it because you have never learned how to manage this function. The intellect is a primary tool in managing this function.
Are your windows of memory open to viruses?
What is certainly important is the kind of information that you store. You have the power to select the kind of information you want to store. Sometimes you may not even think so, because you allow your windows to bring in any and every kind of information. You want to poke your eyes and your ears everywhere, so you receive all kinds of information, some of which may haunt you.
Just think that in a village or your surroundings you were able to hear every conversation of everyone, and know all that is happening in their lives. Can you imagine how unsettling that could be when you know the stories of everybody: all the bad stories and the good stories? You may think how wonderful it is to know all about what’s happening in the village, but there are some things you may not want to know for your own peace of mind: “Oh, I did not realize this was so. I did not realize that was so, wow!” We have to be very careful, therefore, about what kind of information we allow through our senses.
Some information may come in with viruses, as we say. They come in and they haunt you afterwards. You look at a monster movie, for example, and you can’t sleep. It is all imaginary but you can’t sleep. You start thinking of how dreaded serpents are and you are afraid of the poor snake that means no harm. You hear ghost stories and you can’t sleep alone, or in the dark. You hear stories about illnesses and then you don’t want to touch anything, or you want to wash your hands so many times. You do not want to be around people, perhaps, because of all the stories you have heard. Then the ego has a way of concocting stories too. So we need to be very careful about what kind of information we bring in, and what it is going to do to us.
Intellect - primary tool to manage memory
Any time you begin to associate with people and you begin to hear stories, you have to bring in the tool of the intellect to ask the questions: “Is this information useful to me? Will it uplift me? Is it going to help me on my journey? Or is it going to scare me? Is it going to put me in worry? Is it going to be a burden on me? Can I handle this?” When you begin to contemplate negative things that produce fear in you and you begin to concoct your own stories “what if this happens or that happens?” you can increase the fear all by yourself, using the powerful tool of the imagination. You can concoct all kinds of fearful stories and create monsters within you of how evil the world is, and how many monsters there are around you. Therefore, one has to be very careful.
Feel stronger; embrace noble thoughts
In the same way that you can create monsters within you, you can also create powerful allies or friends in the noble thoughts that you embrace or contemplate. Taking time to bring this kind of information in your field gives you the opportunity to bring strength into your field. When you contemplate noble thoughts you feel stronger. So memory is a powerful function that you need all the time. This is because the more information you have about yourself and your world, the more you are able to achieve your goals.
You do not, however, want information that will hold you back, take your vitality away, or bring worry to your mind. You want information that will make you more positive. It is important to remember that when you bring up something for contemplation and you give attention to it, you strengthen it whether it is a good thought or a negative one. The more you contemplate it and give attention to it, the stronger you make it, because you are giving energy to it. So if you give energy to your powerful affirmations that can lift you, bring healing to you, bring you self-awareness, open yourself to your good qualities, the stronger you will be. Be careful about what you feed your mind and your attention, and continue to embrace powerful thoughts.
How uplifting are your conversations?
It is not only in self-contemplation that you strengthen these thoughts that you have, but also discussions and conversations. When you are conversing with people you are bringing up thoughts from the memory. Furthermore, you are giving them more life each time you bring them up in discussion. So not only in self-contemplation do you invest more energy but also in conversation. Therefore, you need to be careful about conversations as well, and where they are taking you.
Using your memory in the best possible way?
It is wonderful when you can consciously select the information you want to keep in your memory, and to bring them back when you want to feed them more energy, so that these thoughts may be your strength on the journey. They will lift you and hold you in a stronger place. When you read, reflect or converse about stories of strength, powerful success stories, victory stories on the journey of life, they hold you in a stronger and better place.
So the question is: “Do I use my memory in the best possible way? Do I protect my memory from negative thoughts or input? Do I consciously pursue and embrace noble and positive thoughts? Do I engage in good company that I may strengthen noble thoughts? Do I give importance to my memory and what I store in my mental field?” This is extremely important. Of course, the intellect is the primary tool in using this memory function in the best possible way. Your memory is a very powerful energy. It holds so many qualities or experiences of the ego that influence our behaviour or well-being continuously.
Self-awareness brings freedom
Let us use the memory to help us to get into that place of freedom, where we will be free even from the negative influences of the memory. Use it to go into that place of freedom where we can feel detached from the memory and where we can manage the store of information in the memory in a powerful way. That is the place of the ego in the Source; connected to the Source. That is the place of self-awareness that brings freedom beyond the trap of the material world.
Let us use the intellect to establish ourselves in that place of freedom, and to manage this powerful function that we call memory.
