Self-Realization: Restlessness and the Ego

[mr-patrick]

Hi John,

I hope you are well.

I have been working through the process of releasing the contents of the subconscious for a few years now. In this time I have made great progress, and have noticed significant changes in my physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.

However I am still struggling with a few addictions - the Internet, social media and food addictions specifically. I find that when I abstain from any of these activities, I am faced with feelings of restlessness. The longer I do not indulge in any of these activities, the stronger the feeling becomes. The maximum amount of time I have been able to avoid these addictions has been 3 days at which point the restlessness became overwhelming.

I am familiar with the workings of the ego and wanted to ask whether restlessness is a method employed by the ego? My thought process is that maybe if I can understand the nature of the restlessness, I can move closer towards accepting it.

Thank you.

[John Ruskan]

Congratulations on doing the work. The purpose of addictions is to cover over suppressed feelings. When the addictions are stopped, the suppressed feelings will start to emerge, but first there may be / probably will be anxiety or what you are calling restlessness. I don’t know if we could say the ego is purposefully inciting the restlessness. Take it as the opportunity to sit in meditation, first accepting the restlessness and taking it through the steps and then watch for the emerging feelings. On the other hand, don’t be too hard on yourself and demand that you must be perfect. I believe the wifi atmosphere has a lot to do with existential feelings of anxiety that we all experience. We have to take it as just another challenge.