Deep meditation, like a psychedelic trip, is refreshing in the sense that it allows you to reset your mind. What do I mean? We tend to bind ourselves to ideas, people, or things without much thought or consideration as to why. Try it out: Ask yourself questions like, "Why do I like what I like?", "Who am I?", "What am I choosing to attend to?" These kinds of questions, if honestly asked and listened to, provide us with perspective on our lives. And until we gain perspective, we are prone to believe that the illusion is real, and that the real is just a problem.

It is true that attending to the real can feel uncomfortable, and that the seduction of the illusion often wins over our intuition and conscience. But until we actively try to gain perspective on our pains and hurts, we will seek to avoid them, which will only make them worse over time. A life spent in the service of health is one that cultivates healing, which almost always extends to those around them. Think of that aphorism, you are the amalgamation of the five people you spend the most time around. It is essentially saying what I am saying here. If you surround yourself with healiers, you will begin to seek healing yourself. If you surround yourself with addicts, you will soon become addicted.

One final note. Death is like a cleansing; it frees us of everything we thought was important. That's why memento mori is such a useful philosophy; keeping death in mind helps us prioritize our actions. Nothing is more important than your health. Without it, not only will you suffer, but your suffering will be inflamed by fear, doubt, and pain. Healing ourselves allows us the freedom to engage with reality in a more harmonious way, in an easier, more natural way. It makes the pain, fear, and doubt less intense. Healing, although often uncomfortable, leads to healing. There is no other way there. 

Sending you love and peace,
Mitchell Anton MacEachern

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