Are You a Prisoner of Your Past?

[u/Infinity_here]

The other day at work, I noticed a colleague looking really upset. When I asked if she was okay, she burst into tears and told me how her mother-in-law had made her life miserable in the past.

When I asked if they were still living together, she said, “No, we moved out almost a year ago. In fact, she even called this morning to wish me on my anniversary.”

That’s when it struck me, the suffering wasn’t happening anymore, but she was still reliving it every single day. The past had a stronger grip on her than the present.

I shared a piece of Sadhguru’s wisdom with her for better clarity,

“What is past cannot be fixed. What is now can only be experienced. What is next can be created.”

She fell silent, then quietly asked, “But how do I actually let go? Is there any tool or way to forgive and move on?”

I shared how meditation & mental hygiene helped me break free from my own compulsive habit of replaying the past. It hasn’t made me perfect (I’m still very much a work in progress), but it’s given me the ability to be present, to live life as it unfolds instead of being trapped in old stories.

And it makes me wonder… how many of us are unknowingly prisoners of our own past? How many are still trying to “think their way” out of stress without realizing there might be another way?

Are You Still a Prisoner of Your Past Or Did You Find Your Way Out?

[u/Glittering-Sun4193]

Meditation doesn’t undo all the pain. It just makes me realize how much of the untreated pain has given rise to my negative self talk. The pain becomes a part of my mental frame.

Mindfulness needs to go hand in hand with therapy or journaling to fully help the person feel the emotions and let go of past pain.

[u/Infinity_here → u/Glittering-Sun4193]

Absolutely 💯. Meditation creates a distance between the mind muck and you. And helps you take conscious action... Journaling helps you reflect on your progress / regress.

We meditate helps us become aware ... and see that we can use lessons learnt from the past to create a better future. Just sharing basis my experience.

Pain is mind created. Meditation & Mindfulness ... mental hygiene in general help you break free from the pain. I think we're on the same page. But you're wording it differently.

[u/Glittering-Sun4193 → u/Infinity_here]

I think I disagree with the notion that pain is mind created. There are pain that are mind created like ruminating, unnecessary negative self talk. However, saying my painful childhood trauma is mind created is a little dismissive. In your friend’s case, her psyche is just trying to make sense of the past pain.

I mean isn’t therapy just replaying the past by sharing it to a therapist? Replaying the past is necessary to release the pain and feel the emotions. But excessive rumination is harmful, and being mindful can put an end to that but it doesn’t make the pain disappear.

[u/Infinity_here → u/Glittering-Sun4193]

Yeah we can agree to disagree. 👍😊