Engineers of the Self

Introduction

There are, roughly, two ways to proceed in the spiritual path, or in any path where self improvement is the ultimate end. First, there is the rather random approach that some decide to take. It consists of throwing some meditation, some physical exercise, maybe borrow a couple of beliefs from here and there... and create an amalgam, hoping that the combined training will add up. Even though it works in the long haul, it is slow and directionless.

Then, there is the methodical approach, what I will call the "engineering of the self". As any engineer should know, in order to introduce change into a system in a controlled fashion, one has to know what parts integrate it and, furthermore, how does every part interact with the others. Understanding each individual piece, and then the whole picture, is essential to measure how a change in one component will affect the whole system.

The being, the self, is a very complex system, a living one, and extra care and understanding is needed in order to bring orderly change to it.

For this exercise, I want you to become an engineer, an engineer of the self...

First, we need to understand our "system", we need to know what small parts are affecting the whole of our being, and to that end we must delve into our emotions, sensations, and thoughts.

The Exercise:

You have two ways to enter this exercise. You can go about the safe way, which is going through it all in your mind, and letting your imagination simulate reality. Or you can go out there, and actually do the real thing. I will let that up to you.

If you are doing it in the safety of your home, I want you to get into a meditative state, however you use to do it. This exercise is not for novices, so I won't describe how to get into meditation. Next I want you to, in your mind, invoke situations that generate the following emotions:

• Intense anger.
• Hopelessness.
• Envy.
• Joy.
• Compassion.

Feel free to modify the list to suit your needs. Make the situation as real as possible, be there in mind and spirit. If you do it in real life, then there is not much I can add, but anything you do, stay present.

When you are in the situation, either real or imaginary, it will be time for the real work to begin. Scan your body, your feelings. Try to separate what you are experiencing in the following categories:

• Physical (ie: butterflies in the stomach).
• Mental (ie: Self talk).
• Physiological (ie: an urge to puke).
• Energetical (ie: An influx of energy raising from my lower stomach).

Delve into the sensations. Again, be there.

Write down the diverse sensations and feelings as described above, for each of the situations and emotions that you decide to play.

With this, you have started decomposing yourself into tiny pieces. The next step towards self-mastery is looking at those pieces, and deciding what must be modified to achieve the desired change in the system (aka your being), with the minimum investment of time and energy and for maximum results. But for now, just look at what's there, get to know your inner mechanisms in great depth.

There is no need to report your results, but you are not advised against it either.