“He has a rich inner world”, “Only the inner world is important to me”, “I don’t want to let anyone into my inner world” and other similar phrases we hear almost every day. I think you, dear reader, have said or heard something similar. But what kind of world is this? Does it depend on the person himself or is it some kind of unchangeable thing that cannot be adjusted? I invite you to understand together the nuances of such a complex, but seemingly simple concept.
The inner world is a very interesting phenomenon. Everyone feels and understands when something does not correspond to him, but few can clearly say what his inner world consists of. So, someone romantically calls it the soul, someone appeals to scientific concepts such as “self-consciousness”, someone will say that this is a person’s individuality.
I believe that the inner world is a kind of core of a person, which defines him as a person and determines the success (failure) of socialization (incorporation into society). But as always, first things first.
What is the inner world of a person?
The inner world of a person is a complex of attitude, education, social views, a list of abilities and attitude to the morality of an individual. This term unites a person’s subjective perception of the reality around him , including various individual reactions to the circumstances of the surrounding world.
For this reason, the inner world of any person is unique and individual; it includes not only a number of natural and hereditary abilities, but also a vast set of personal beliefs, hobbies, principles, values, attitudes and judgments. The inner world is formed throughout a person’s life and is based on character traits and personal qualities, and is a reflection of his life experience. In a sense, the inner world is a kind of reflection of the outer world, but it is not capable of becoming its exact copy (otherwise the inner world of all the inhabitants of the Earth would be as similar to each other as two peas in a pod). On the contrary, it is characterized by extreme subjectivity and reflects the surrounding reality through a set of filters unique to each of us.
Learn to stop the "delirium"
The inner world can only be seen with pure consciousness. If you chew the so-called mental cud throughout the day, then you will not be able to find peace of mind. You need to learn to stop the “mental delirium”. How can this be done? You can master meditation, and then with the help of simple breathing exercises in just a few seconds you will be able to get rid of the mess in your head. If you have not yet mastered meditation, then try another method of cleansing your consciousness. At the moment when you catch yourself thinking that you are not thinking about what you want, or are thinking about something unpleasant, reproduce a landscape that is pleasant for you before your eyes. It could be an autumn forest, a sea view, or a landscape with a green lawn. While admiring an imaginary picture, think only about it. After a few seconds, you will notice that your consciousness has cleared. Do this exercise as often as possible. Smart thoughts will not be able to come to a head that is busy washing the bones of colleagues or thinking about plans for dinner. Consciousness must be clear so that you can enjoy the unity of soul and body.
What does a person’s inner world consist of?
In general, the structure of the inner world is very individual, which makes it difficult to describe. The variety of situations in which people find themselves throughout life greatly influences the formation of their inner world. Thus, having encountered manifestations of cruelty or other traumatic events in the early years, already in adulthood the individual begins to attract failures and troubles due to the presence of phobias, neuroses, and various personality disorders. And, on the contrary, a happy and carefree childhood can form a kind of “safety cushion” in the subconscious of a person, protecting him in the future from unnecessary worries and negativity, without which the course of life is unthinkable.
Structurally, the inner world includes several categories. It consists of:
- Emotions , i.e. subjective experiences of an individual (joy, shame, fear, anger, etc.) that arise as a result of various life situations.
- Feelings , which are emotional states (friendship, love, melancholy, delight, etc.), which are longer in duration than emotions and differ from them in a pronounced objective nature.
- Worldview , which unites a person’s views, ideas and concepts about the world around him, thanks to which a person orients himself in objective reality and can adequately assess what is happening around him.
The general orientation and structure of the personality itself is always determined by its worldview. It is the worldview that shapes the habits and inclinations of an individual, while simultaneously having a key impact on a person’s character and his attitude towards the outside world.
Remember your childhood
At a young age, people are not afraid to dream. But, growing up, a person forgets that he has desires. Adults do not forget about their responsibilities, but few people consider it necessary to take care of themselves and their inner child. If you want to know yourself, then you need to start with writing. Sit down at your desk and make a list of the activities that brought you pleasure as a child. You loved to draw, play music, write or sculpt. This means we need to continue to develop in this direction. Don't worry that it's too late. You don't need to retrain from an accountant to an artist. You need to understand your inner essence, and the easiest way to do this is through creativity. Don’t be afraid to create something new, and don’t put your first masterpieces on public display. Your task is to enjoy the process.
Features of the inner world
The inner world is characterized by the desire for stable development and independent regulation; its formation occurs gradually, as the individual accumulates his own life experience. But the changes that have occurred in the inner world are often irreversible , since any, especially significant (equally negative and positive) events in the life of an individual leave a deep mark on him, influencing the future fate of a person.
It is impossible not to take into account the impact that the external world has on the internal one, because of which the latter can change even due to subtle, random circumstances. For example, for an individual who has lost faith in people, a little help from an outsider is often enough to change his seemingly established views on life.
Creative dates
How often do you meet with your loved ones? Every day, once every two or three days? When was the last time you spent time with yourself? For a long time? It's time to fix the situation. To know yourself, you need to be alone with yourself from time to time. It is advisable to do this every week. Take an hour on a weekday or weekend and ask yourself out on a date. Where have you wanted to go for a long time, but for some reason you couldn’t do it? Did you want to go to an exhibition, cinema or theater? Buy yourself a ticket and go. Do not take anyone to such an event. Go alone. You won't be bored alone with yourself. On the contrary, you will be able to better understand the essence of the event you wanted to attend. Observe your feelings. These types of dates will help you get to know yourself better. You will understand what events you like to attend, what restaurants you like to eat at, what routes you enjoy walking along. Remember that the main thing is regularity. Don't miss meetings with yourself. Let them take place on the same day and at the same time every week.
What is the inner world like?
The inner world is distinguished by extreme diversity, there is a place for harmony and contradictions, base and sublime, rich or poor in emotional terms. Typically, psychologists distinguish three main types of inner world:
- The first type of the described concept is distinguished by a positive emotional background and a friendly attitude ; it is characterized by such feelings as love, kindness, a positive attitude towards life, and the desire to share one’s energy with others. An individual with such an inner world is familiar with the feeling of happiness and is satisfied with his life; he clearly understands that the feeling of happiness does not depend on external circumstances, but is based on the inner worldview of the person himself.
- The second type of inner peace is expressed in a spectrum of negative emotions, in particular, hatred, anger and boredom. The world of such a person is gloomy and empty, it is hostile, or, at a minimum, cold and indifferent to others. An individual with such an inner world blames everyone for his own troubles, unwilling or afraid to find their roots in himself.
- The internal universe of the third type is characterized by an ongoing struggle between negative and positive emotions , which often leads to the development of internal conflict. A person with a similar type of inner world looks for the reasons for these contradictions both in himself and in the reality around him.
As can be seen from the above, the inner world of the individual is closely connected with the circumstances of the surrounding reality. It is mirrored in it, while reality directly influences its formation.
Writing Life Goals
Do you want to understand how to learn to hear yourself? Write a life plan. What do you want and what are you striving for? Imagine yourself as a ship that is sailing to the shores of happiness. If there is no lighthouse on your island, then you will wash up on the shore, but it is not a fact that you will like this shore. Swimming without a map is very difficult. So make it up. The more detailed your life plan is, the easier it will be to implement it. If you don't know what you want, then start with a simple exercise. Draw a circle and divide it into 6 parts. Label each part: health, career, family, friends, sports and creativity. Think about which areas of life you are currently paying attention to and which ones you are avoiding. Describe in detail each area of your life and indicate what you would like to achieve in it in 5/10/20 years. Separate lists should be written of desires to buy something, go somewhere, see something and read something. The main thing is to remember that goals and desires should be your true ones, and not imposed by advertising.
What does “rich inner world” mean?
A person with a rich inner world is distinguished by a number of important qualities:
- he easily finds a common language with others and is an interesting interlocutor;
- can easily justify the expressed opinion;
- has a wide range of different feelings;
- not afraid of loneliness.
Such individuals are able to sense the versatility of a person’s inherent emotional experiences; they can recognize and analyze their emotions, correctly distributing them depending on external manifestations. In contrast, a person with a poor inner universe experiences only a limited number of emotions, for example, joy or sadness, anger or serenity.
Meditation
Do you practice yoga? If yes, then good, if not, then at least start with meditation. Why is it needed? Through breathing practice you can cleanse your soul and mind. Exercises to clear your mind help you understand how to correctly and quickly abstract yourself from the thoughts that swarm through your head. Meditation helps create a vacuum in the mind. After such practices, your thoughts will become clearer and your thought processes will work better. You will learn to look at the world more carefully, observe those around you and contemplate what is happening with calm and peace.
The meaning of inner peace
It is difficult to overestimate the role that the inner world plays in the life of any person. Many people do not see the connection between the inner and outer world, which prevents them from fully realizing the reasons for their failures and misfortunes , finding the roots of constantly arising problems in themselves. A person is free to independently choose what exactly to fill his inner world with, since he alone is the creator, owner and creator of his own life, and only his mood and emotional state largely depend on him.
A harmonious and happy life does not come on its own; it requires a person to constantly work on emotions, desires and thoughts. Only by doing this work will a person be able to form a positive perception of the surrounding reality, take control of his thoughts and feelings, and begin to gradually develop and enrich his own inner world. Then, having learned to manage his inner state, he will be able to find happiness and a sense of satisfaction from life.
Diary
Are you communicating with yourself? If not yet, then it's time to start. Keep a diary. It's good if you have someone to share the news and interesting facts you learned during the day. But it’s still better to talk not only with loved ones, but also with yourself. Take 10 minutes of your evening to fill out the pages of a paper notebook or type half a page of text on the computer.
Are you trying to figure out how to start hearing yourself and why we need it? A diary will help you answer these questions. People often don't know what they want and where they are going. Every day, summing up the results of the day and understanding what you have achieved in a week, you will be able to understand where you are moving and whether the vector of development suits you. If something goes wrong, you can always change the trajectory of your movement. Listen to yourself and write frankly. The diary is your thoughts. Don't let anyone read your notes. This will help you share your desires with yourself and talk about any concerns. You can use such information and your thoughts to improve the quality of your life.
How to achieve peace of mind
If we blindly follow everything that is stated in the scriptures, we are unlikely to be able to achieve the desired result that each of us strives for. The path to ideal spiritual enlightenment lies through overcoming your own concerns and fears. The road to independent awareness is very long, but, nevertheless, every person can go through this difficult path in a short period of time. When others will not be able to comprehend the simple truth in their entire lives.
Of all the teachings about human spirituality, choose only the most valuable information. Under no circumstances follow everything that is written thoughtlessly, because you may lose your mind.
The idea of spiritual enlightenment is that every person himself must realize the seriousness and significance of righteous deeds. After all, it is much more pleasant to bring goodness, good intentions and thoughts into our beautiful world. It becomes especially pleasant in those moments when you feel the return on your efforts. Then new abilities open up in us, our soul becomes much wider.
We begin to notice all the beauty and tenderness of our nature. The main achievement in such aspirations is complete dedication and a sense of significance. When our actions bear fruit, then endless possibilities open up for us. A flame begins to “burn up” within us. There is an interest in further self-development.
Once you begin to feel that you have reached the maximum level of awareness, do not rush to stop and give up. After all, it is impossible to achieve absolute knowledge, because everyone chooses the criteria by which they begin to evaluate their actions and thoughts. However, basic knowledge is enough to get closer to self-improvement.
You shouldn't stop halfway to self-improvement. As soon as you feel that you have reached the maximum point of development of your inner world. Think a little and you will find many more errors and shortcomings that need to be corrected
To get started, all you need is a basic understanding of spirituality, as well as a little patience and perseverance. Further actions will be much more productive. Thoughts and actions will give results that until recently may have seemed unattainable to you.
However, you should not relax, since working on yourself is a long process that requires special attention. Then you need to go deeper and deeper, and there are no certain boundaries in self-development. We ourselves must choose at what stage we can stop. Or move on without stopping to get the most effective return on your efforts.
Ask a question
How to hear yourself? Sometimes, when a person is faced with some problem, he cannot understand what to do. If intuition is also silent, then making the right decision seems almost impossible. To solve this problem, you can ask one question: why? For example, you think you want to sign up for a swimming pool. The idea seems sound, but to check whether this desire is genuine or imposed by others, ask yourself why you need to go to the pool. If the answer is “I like to swim” - good, but if the answer is “For Why should I go with Alena for If I don’t go, she will be offended”, then there is no point in going swimming.
