Chapter 13: Where Pressure Flows
Anything under a high enough level of pressure can become lethal or fatal. When high pressure is uncontrolled it will try its best to find its way out, in, through or around. This applies for physical pressure and non-physical emotional, mental and spiritual pressures. These non-physical pressures are the often misunderstood forces that push us in certain directions against our will. As human beings, we try to fight our way through repelling pressure with physical actions or choose to allow the pressure to build when fighting feels fruitless. But to truly understand the flow of pressure we must understand its direction and the best ways to be less resistant but firm enough to not wash away.
Here is a chart I’ve made for understanding pressure.
Environment and Void are your two strongest pressures yet macro concepts, which can be difficult to see in its entirety without over-simplifying. However, one way to understand them is environment representing meaning and void representing lack of meaning; In other words, something and nothing. The pressure to fit in to an environment is your ego’s manifestation to survive. Which is heavily reinforced through the passage of time and external factors. The pressure to become nothing is your consciousness retreating from survival and acknowledging existence, which is heavily reinforced through your identity and internal factors.
Internal factors and identity built from a pressure to fit in to an environment will pressure you towards void, which is to unlearn the negative pressure and redirect to positive action. External factors and time spent on becoming something meaningful to escape a void of identity, leads you towards your environment. Changing your approach to the world, the people you’re around and your immediate surroundings to reaffirm your changing identity.
As conscious creatures we naturally move through cycles of developing identity, honing instincts, exploring the world, exhausting time, re-developing identify, re-honing instincts, re-exploring the world and once again exhausting time. This is how we build experience. Resistance to this cycle causes a build of pressure. The buildup of pressures picked up and passed down are only relieved through releasing the valve. You can stay in meaning or lack of meaning forever you must understand the importance of it all.
To be at the mercy of void means zero pressure but also no life. While you’ve reached true freedom, an environment of time ceases control. Your identity however, cannot become stable with no pressure. Pressure will build up in your external factors, leading you towards certain short-sightedness. To be at the mercy of your environment you will not make the necessary reflections to continue thriving, effectively aging out of your own life which you are determined to see in one way. We have all seen a person we’ve loved go through this, but beautifully we all go through this together just on different levels. This is once again because, pressure must be built up to become lethal or fatal.
Pressure in time means stress about how long you’ve spent being/doing something or how long you feel you have to change/accomplish something
Pressure in external factors means stressing about your external world. Examples could be your job, your relationships, your living situation, money, the way you see the world or externally perceived success.
Pressure in internal factors means stress towards your decisions, your health, your physicality, your attachments, your dreams or goals and your self-image.
Pressure in your identity means stressing about the person you’ve become, want to be, aren’t seen as or otherwise are somewhat dreading.
To keep pressure low as it cycles through its circuit, allow it the freedom to push you where it pleases. Then, find the place experiencing the least amount of pressure, interact with it to release the valve and watch the flow become unblocked and manageable again. It is important to not forget the importance of pressure. Pressure is what keeps you yourself, keeps you aware, keeps you responsive and keeps you grateful. You do not want to try and eradicate what allows you to move through life consciously. An essential part of unconditional love is finding the path of least resistance, not no resistance. For an unconditional lover pressure can be manipulated, it is your metaphysical clay.
