Observing the Brain and Remembering What Is Real

I woke up early one morning with the residue of a dream that felt... off. Nothing dramatic, just a vague sense that something dreadful had happened somewhere in the night.

Then I noticed my body. I felt some kind of tightness, a pain or cramps in my stomach area.

And almost instantly, my brain jumped in. What if it's cancer? What if it gets worse? What if this is it? "Oh no."

At this point in my life, I know better than to believe what the brain is saying when it gets that way. I started simply observing. As described in the core practice called "Standing Outside the Storm of Thoughts", I observed what was going on in my body and brain. I saw what is happening right now. What is real, what is happening in this moment, what is right in front of me. As I did that, I realized more of what I already knew.

Instead of arguing with it or trying to fix anything, I did something far more effective.

I observed.

I stood outside the storm of thoughts and simply noticed:

• sensations in the body
• stories in the brain
• awareness holding them both

No resistance. No agreement. Just seeing.

(In this moment, is anything actually wrong? If you do get that yes, something is actually wrong, then of course you would consult a qualified healthcare provider.)

A Deeper Remembering

As I stayed with what was actually happening, something familiar returned.

We are not here to suffer. We are not here to be victims of our own thoughts.

At a deeper level, beyond the brain, we already know this. What if everything really is OK, even when it doesn't feel that way? When we see from awareness rather than from fear, reality shifts. Life stops looking like a threat and starts looking like an experience to not only appreciate, but to have awe and wonder about.

Did we really choose this? Did we know what we were getting into when we came here?

Yes.

Did we know how and when we would leave here?

Yes.

Then why don't we remember?

Because forgetting was part of the design.

We came to experience Life: not just the pleasant parts, but the full spectrum:

• joy and sorrow
• beauty and loss
• certainty and confusion

The brain labels some of this "bad." Life itself does not.

Meeting the "Oh, No" part

When we live solely from the brain, life can feel harsh and overwhelming. When we live from awareness, life feels deep: even when it's challenging.

As I watched my experience unfold, something became clear. It was a part of me that had been running quietly in the background for years. I was unaware of it.

An ego.

One of the Life Principles on Inner Satisfaction is Checking Egos. We see the mechanisms that once protected us but now overstep their role.

I decided to give this one a name.

I call it my "Oh, No" ego.

What happens when you stop fighting it?

Instead of rejecting it or trying to get rid of it, I did something different.

I thanked it.

This part of me had served a purpose when I was younger, when I truly needed protection and vigilance. It helped me survive.

But now, I no longer need it to be such a controller.

A Practical Takeaway

So when the "Oh, No" ego appears, I don't panic.

I notice it. I smile. I let it pass. What happens when awareness replaces resistance? Peace shows up naturally.

The next time fear arises, try this:

1. Ask: What is actually happening right now?

2. Notice the difference between sensation and story.

3. Identify the "Oh, No" voice without believing it.

4. Stay as the observer, not the character in the drama.

Nothing needs fixing in that moment. Awareness itself does the work.

(Again, if anything is actually wrong and it is not just the brain over-reacting, then of course you would consult a qualified healthcare provider.)

And as you rest there, something quietly reveals itself again and again:

All is OK.

Life is allowed to move. And even "Oh, No" is something you can meet with appreciation.

If something in you knows there must be a better way to live than "Oh, No" then these are the practices you've been looking for.