Who are we really?

For about 2 seconds this morning when I woke up, I didn't know who I was, where I was at or what I was doing. Yet I was conscious. Then it came back to me: "Oh, I'm lying in my normal bed at home; I work for that company, yesterday I did this, today I need to do that...",  and so on. It was probably just one of those 'mental blockage' moments when I said I didn't know who I was–pretty silly I know.

But one thing became very apparent to me after that experience–well, it had been pointed out to me by a certain author of a book (see below) before, but it's now very clear: Our awareness is really separate from our physical bodies. Our physical bodies are our identities in the society, but our awareness is in essence what we really are. We are really nobody.

Most people are too identified with their physical bodies–i.e. with their places in the society. Rarely do people realise that these are a mere role-playing, in that these roles are detachable from us. What are we really in essence? We are simply that awareness. We are that consciousness that does not really have any identity attached to it whatsoever. Most people are probably going to find a hard time accepting this idea, which is exactly what I mean. They are too identified with their physical bodies and the roles that they have in this society–a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, etc.

Think for a sec if you lose your memory in an accident like in the movies. Who are you now? It's probably going to be a journey to rediscover that. This is where it becomes so obvious that we are not really who we think we are. Our physical bodies' identity is really separable from what we really are. A question that we can ask ourselves may be: is it going to be the end of the world if we lost our memories and forgot 'who' we are? Are we going to die? Obviously not. We would still be conscious and aware. At any given moment in that situation we are still alive and breathing. We simply just lost our memory and forgot what role we have in the society. Again, that role is not who/what we really are in essence.

The identification with our physical bodies creates the Ego. An elevated Ego makes people arrogant. For example, a lawyer who has a high prestige and status may look down on other people. They may treat other people unfairly. Similarly, a person who holds a significant position in a large company may think he is 'better' than most people. The danger of this elevation of the ego for themselves is that if they lost this identity in one fell swoop, e.g. from losing their jobs, they would become depressed, much like a Pendulum that swings from one side to the other.

Realising this notion of detachable identities may help one to become more resilient and confident in life and not be easily intimidated, particularly in social settings. Steve Jobs, the great tech visionary once said: "everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it." This is another way of saying that everyone has the potential to be anything they wish to be in the society and participate in moulding it. On the other hand realising this helps to manage our egos–what we have achieved, others have the potential to achieve too.

If you wish to read more on the concept of 'ego' please read 'A New Earth' by Eckhart Tolle