How to Find Jesus’ “Peace that Transcends All Understanding”
There is a great difference between "feeling" safe and "being" safe. The mind is creative enough to generate any story or belief it needs to feed various brain mechanics with oxygen-rich blood flow. It’s one of humanity’s greatest strengths (our imaginations) and one of its horrible weaknesses when it is turned against us.
If we've had experiences, ESPECIALLY when we are young, that keep us constantly "on guard" with a "tight stomach" or "a racing mind" these systems can convince themselves, and even worse us, that they are "high priority systems."
How do they convince us? Well, we are already convinced if we feel we are in a dangerous universe with frail and powerless body/minds. If these brain mechanics are "high priority systems" they have to "stay in shape" by constant blood flow. They do this by constantly provoking mental images that frighten us into using them.
How are we further vulnerable? IF we still have the belief that we – as separate individual forms - can control outcomes OR that we ARE this decaying body/mind we are in conflict with the universe (because we are at odds with the truth) and it will amplify these feelings of helplessness when the universe “wins” those conflicts (“wins” them by providing experiences that prove our illusions are false), as it always does.
So the way out is:
Learn the difference between "feeling" safe and "being" safe by checking honestly the present moment
Become intimate with the brain mechanics involved (primarily the Amygdala, Story Teller, and the “Itty-Bitty-Shitty-Committee”)
Continue to heal the childhood traumas that add a violent feeling of powerlessness to stimuli
Move your "sense of self" or your "I Am" out of the body/mind through surrendering to the universe that is ultimately YOU.
I have many essays dedicated to these four necessities and if the work is done in earnest, there will come a time when the body/mind’s journey is seen not to be “my obligation” or “in my control.”
When we move our “sense of self” firmly to God, or the “universe itself” and out of these small decaying bodies we can enjoy the “show” and let go of any ideas that we “control outcomes.”
This leads to Jesus’ “Peace that transcends all understanding.”