From Disenchanted to Awake

 Remember, "disenchantment" means to wake up from the spell of enchantment, to wake up from the dreamlike state of ignorance. 

Joseph Goldstein, page 312

Still  Living in the Enchanted Forest?

I  loved fairy tales as a child and there were very few that did not use the word "enchanted" at least once.  I got goosebumps when I heard that word because it meant there was some type of magic spell about to take place in which the heroine had to awaken from. There was a challenging spell cast upon her by something,  whether it be an enchanted spinning wheel, tower or an enchanted apple and she had to passively overcome this life challenge by being rescued. And in many cases there was an "enchanted forest" for the rescuer to get through.  Enchanted meant some type of dream like or sleep state that took the characters away from the ordinary and real world. Salvation meant being awakened or making one's way through this enchanted forest.

Well most of us are under ego's spell, aren't we? We are sleep walking through some enchanted forest which we erronously believe is so real.  This forest is in our minds and in our minds only.  We are dreaming it up.  We are, in fact, dreaming ourselves into existence.   We , while under this mind spell, dream up this hero or heroine, this version of "little me" with its roles and its quests; with its adventures and its obstacles; its personality and its missions. We "dream up" a story we, as this little clump of flesh and overactive mind, are starring in. We are often waiting for someone or something "out there" to save us.

We want to be saved but are looking for salvation in all the wrong places. We want to wake up but we are often so attached to this dreamlike state of ignorance, it is challenging to do so.  And  realizing that no dude on a white horse with a good set of puckers is going to awaken us, makes it even more challenging and "disenchanting".  A good clear look at Life is disenchanting. The spell begins to break when we realize that nothing out there will save us or wake us  We have to do it ourself.  

We first must relaize that we dreamed up our fairy tale.  It is all just story and mind stuff.  We are not our thinking or narration, therefore we are not bound by it. We are simply thinking ourselves into existence.

This process  of awakening to truth is not as romantic and exciting or predicatble as our childhood fairy tales were and this in itself is so "disenchanting" to the part of us hooked on the story, waiting for rescue...but this "disenchantment" can actually lead us to true salvation and rescue.  The awakened state is much more sustaining and freeing than magic could ever be.

All is well. 

Joseph Goldstein (2016) Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening. Boulder: Sounds True.