BEFUDDLING

To me, the human mind is at once the most wondrous, fascinating and befuddling part of our being. Wondrous because of its enormous capabilities, fascinating because of its as yet untapped potentials, and befuddling because it has strange attitudes and beliefs about itself.

For example: We can often be heard to say, "I had to talk myself into it." What in tarnation does that mean? The "I" and the "myself" in that sentence are the same thing, the same you, aren't they? If the "I"s mind already knows or believes or wants something, who or what else is there in the "myseld" that it has to convince? "You" only have one mind, it is the only decision maker in you, and you are already convinced. So who or what exactly are you talking to? Befuddling.

Ever say to yourself (what does that mean?), "I have to give my mind a rest." Shouldn't that more accurately be stated, "This part of the total me needs to shut down this part of the total me because this part of the total me is tired of doing what this part of the total me is designed to do"? Befuddling.

Ever say, "I can't stop thinking about it"? So your mind, which in one way or another, controls everything in your body, is not in total control of itself? Something else is controlling it? What? Befuddling.

And when the mind turns to drugs and alcohol and biofeedback and self-hypnosis and meditation and mantras and yoga and stuff to shut itself partially or totally down, is that aN acknowledge- ment that it prefers at times not to do the job nature intended it to do? Nature intended it to do? Nature, too, has a mind? Befuddling.

Can you ever really not know yourself? Lie to yourself (since you already know the truth)? Not believe you're saying or doing something? Push things out of your mind? Make believe it didn't happen? Close your eyes (eyes?) to the facts? Walk on burning coals and choose not to feel what you're feeling? Not know who you really are? Believe the unbelievable? Erase something from your mind? Turn off your mind (how could you ever choose to turn it back on if it takes an awake mind to make choices)? If you had a brain transplant (they're probably coming), would you be you or would you be he or she? Can you ever really go out of your mind, since you are not in your mind, your mind is in you?

Mind-boggling.