So how can we be free of this affliction?
Make it conscious. Observe the many ways in which unease,
discontent, and tension arise within you through unnecessary
judgment, resistance to what is, and denial of the Now. Anything
unconscious dissolves when you shine the light of consciousness on it.
Once you know how to dissolve ordinary unconsciousness, the light of
your presence will shine brightly, and it will be much easier to deal
with deep unconsciousness whenever you feel its gravitational pull.
However, ordinary unconsciousness may not be easy to detect initially
because it is so normal.
Make it a habit to monitor your mental-emotional state through self-
observation. “Am I at ease at this moment?” is a good question to ask
yourself frequently. Or you can ask: “What’s going on inside me at this
moment?” Be at least as interested in what goes on inside you as
what happens outside. If you get the inside right, the outside will fall
into place. Primary reality is within, secondary reality without. But
don’t answer these questions immediately. Direct your attention
inward. Have a look inside yourself. What kind of thoughts is your
mind producing? What do you feel? Direct your attention into the
body. Is there any tension? Once you detect that there is a low level
of unease, the background static, see in what way you are avoiding,
resisting, or denying life — by denying the Now. There are many ways
in which people unconsciously resist the present moment. I will give
you a few examples. With practice, your power of self-observation, of
monitoring your inner state, will become sharpened.