From Chapter 5: Samskaras
When daily life triggers emotional reactions, the first thing to understand is that you never start by forcing yourself to be someone you’re not. The moment you think, I should be witnessing, I should be leaning back, I should be relaxed, you’re already making it about expectations—about an image of where you think you’re supposed to be. That’s not helpful. What’s helpful is honestly recognizing what you’re experiencing and simply relaxing in its presence. No judgement; just immediately relaxing. That’s already a huge step in your growth. That’s the doorway to witness consciousness.
Now, can you feel the tendency to get pulled in? That pull is real, and it’s very powerful. It’s not just an idea—it’s an actual force that pulls your consciousness down into it. Instead of fighting it or suppressing it, just notice it. Notice how it comes up and tries to take you with it. That’s enough for right now. Just seeing it, and recognizing its pull without immediately reacting to it, is the beginning of the real inner work. You don’t have to push it away, and you don’t have to go down into it. Just sit in the middle, breathe, and stay as centered as you can. If you fall, fine. Just get back up and try again.
This isn’t about suppressing emotions. People often misunderstand that. If an emotion is there, of course you feel it—that’s reality. The question is: Are you being pulled down into it, or is it coming up to you? That’s the difference. If you let it come up to you, it’s still being expressed, but you’re not losing yourself in it. You’re not feeding it more energy. You’re simply letting it arise and release without resistance. That’s a very high state, but you don’t get there by force—you get there by letting go. This requires the realization that for something to pull on you, you have to be holding on to it. The moment you stop holding on, it starts to release on its own.
Start with the simple stuff. When you feel the pull, don’t try to win some big battle—just see if you can stay present for a few minutes without getting lost in it. That’s it. If you can do two minutes, you can do three. And over time, something amazing happens; you stop getting caught, and those samskaras begin to lose their grip. But don’t force it—let it happen naturally. Just keep relaxing and releasing and you will be amazed by the inner changes.
[Continues in book]
©2026 Michael A. Singer
