Despite experiencing episodes of transcendence, most spiritual seekers inevitably revert back to lives of unnecessary suffering and troubled personal relationships. One reason for this, according to author Mick Quinn, is that “so much of contemporary spiritual thinking is just an orbit of the ego-mind.” Affirmations, the "law of attraction", the “guru culture of self loathing”, and undisciplined meditation are just a few of the ills plaguing today's seekers.
In his book The Uncommon Path, Quinn warns affirmation-sayers that struggling to change their thoughts is a fruitless exercise in pain-mongering that leads to a "mental hell.” Thoughts are not the problem; they are irrelevant – intentions, actions and words have meaning. It's the obsession with thoughts that leads to destructive behaviors.
The Uncommon Path asks that the Ego (and its endless thought stream) be acknowledged and respected as a wonder of evolution. What ails human kind is not the Ego, but the exclusive and manic identification with it. To "awaken" is to no longer identify with the ego as being all that you are.
Quinn credits the ego-mind with getting modern humans to where they are today - the “mid-point between unconsciousness and super-consciousness.” Consciousness, the creative force behind the big bang, is now becoming aware of itself through humanity, and Quinn wrote The Uncommon Path as a guidebook for those willing to take the next evolutionary step and awaken to their true nature.
Many spiritual warriors are on a mission to annihilate their egos. According to Quinn, destroying the ego and dissolving into an improbable state of permanent bliss is not a realistic goal. The key to finding peace and evolving consciousness is to transcend and include the ego through the practice of stillness meditation. By consistently denying the ego’s demands to move the body, attention moves from thought-obsessed to awakened attention. Although Quinn’s statement that “all you have to do is nothing” is not as easy as it sounds. To some, an awakened state comes easily. In others, the ego-mind wages war at the first sign of stillness, manifesting in itches, sudden jolting insights, various pains, or a mouth quickly filled with saliva (swallowing is a no-no movement).
Another necessary process for awakening detailed by Quinn is the "unmasking of the shadow", or the dark and hidden aspects of the personality. One's shadow consists of traits they have deemed unacceptable or unattainable and therefore repressed or denied and then projected out onto other people (external stimuli). When encountered, this stimuli triggers unnecessary suffering.
When an individual acknowledges that what's "out there" is not to blame for unpleasant emotions and takes ownership of the perceived negative quality, the Shadow "reintegrates" and ceases to cause turmoil. When the shadow is unmasked, a deeper knowledge of one's true identity is experienced and works to reduce suffering, from moment to moment, as the awakened person responds to life.
The Uncommon Path is full of relatable real-life stories and exercises that allow the reader to examine if their core values and beliefs are manifesting as a reflection of the ego or their 'authentic selves'. For those committed to awakening, it is a calling to evolve.
For more about The Uncommon Path and Mick Quinn visit www.theuncommonpath.com