EMOTIONS AND THE MIND

We use the heart as the symbol for love and other emotions, but these reside in the mind, not the heart. That magnificent instrument, the heart, serves to pump blood throughout the body. That is its sole function. Why is it important to make this distinction between the mind and the heart? It is important because many people believe their emotional behavior is the correct response of a natural infallible system.

When people use expressions such as “My blood boils when I see...happening” or “My blood pressure went through the roof when I learned about...,” they are associating anger with the effect it has on their bodies, in this case, the effect on their circulatory systems. For whatever unexplained reason, they take it for granted such responses are automatically correct and justified. They believe the body reacts naturally and truthfully to events on the outside world, but it is the programming of the mind that drives a person to react a certain way.

If a person gets angry, it is because something happened that goes against what they believe is right or good for them. Therefore, since programs such as beliefs can be true or false, there is no guarantee the emotions are valid. Just because somebody is angry does not mean truth is on ert (his or her) side. Those frenzied mobs we watch on television burning the American flag, for example, sin against reason. They have no notion of the value of democracy, the great system of government that flag represents—a better arrangement than any theocracy past, present, or future. That is right, even if Jesus came back, he would acquiesce to democracy rather than try to assume a throne—because he should know what is best.

To sum up, the kind of values people accept determine the kind of behavior they will exhibit. Good behavior arises out of the learning and acceptance of good programs, and bad behavior out of bad ones.

Take for example, crimes of passion. When a husband murders his wife because she is leaving him or because she was unfaithful, it is because at a certain point in his life, that man had consciously accepted a program that said, “Your wife is your property, and if she attempts to leave you or if she betrays you, you have the right to kill her!” The crime may have happened in a moment of passion or anger, but that dreadful behavior was the direct result of previous premeditation. He reacted angrily and committed murder because he believed in that program. He believed it was the truth. He believed he was entitled to act accordingly.

That is the problem with some forms of religious indoctrination. The teaching of programs (beliefs) that unjustifiably incite hate is wrong. The teaching of programs that instigate criminal activity is also wrong. These should form no part of a legitimate religion. We need to educate the public at least on two fronts. First, they must conduct self-analysis, to “delete” harmful programs (beliefs) from their mental files. Second, they must learn to reject the advice of leaders suffering from the bane of religious fundamentalism.

Recommended reading: See Ercian Testament – Part One, chapter 2 “The Mind,” and chapter 3 “The Chain of Unconsciousness.”