Conditioning

"There are certain patterns of thinking which lead to patterns of behavior and ... this is part of your conditioning from being in the world."

Directives

"Look at your mind objectively. Recognize the degree to which it is controlled by your social conditioning, and how afraid it is of life and of the future."

The Mind a Product of Social Conditioning

"Fundamentally, spiritual practice is about bringing your surface mind, your social personal mind—the mind that has been formed and created by your social conditioning, by your family and by your experiences in the world—to bring this mind into contact with the power and the presence of Knowledge within yourself."

"For you see, you were born with two minds—a mind to think with and a mind to know. The mind that you think with is a product of all of your social conditioning. It is a product of being in the world. It is an accumulation of ideas, associations and patterns of thinking that you have been learning since the day you were born. Much of this is useful, and some of it is hazardous and dangerous to you. Certainly, you have had to learn how to survive in the world—how to survive physically, how to survive socially, how to participate within a family environment, within a culture or perhaps within a religious framework. You have had to learn how to communicate your ideas and feelings. You have had to learn what society has told you you have to learn. As we have said, some of this is useful and important and some of this is hazardous and not in your best interests."

Further Study

• The Journey to a New Life, Chapter 1: The Awakening