Everyone exercises self-control at one time or another, whether holding anger back or biting one's tongue instead of speaking what's on one's mind. What is this "self" we all wish we could control better?

"I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self." Aristotle.

The self is our personality or ego. It is the source of all humanity's woes and problems. It is an artificial (man-made) mind created by its ability to think, feel and experience its worldly existence. It is the differentiating factor between the human animal and all other natural life forms. It seeks to be independent in its self-defined universe, even though there is no such thing as independence for any life form. All life is dependent on all other life in order to "be."

"Learn to see. Everything is connected." Leonardo da Vinci.

Leonardo was not the only one to recognize this basic truth. Gauthama Siddartha, the first Buddha, said the same thing when referring to the oneness of everything. Carl Jung made the same observation, and Albert Einstein's Relativity equation boils down to depicting that all forms are manifestations of energy. The first step to understanding the self and bringing it under control is accepting that truth.

"If you want to understand the Universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration." Nikola Tesla.

We are born (usually) with five physical senses to experience our worldly travels. These senses provide input to the brain for evaluation and action (or inaction.) Each sense is "tuned in" to a specific range of vibrations that allow it to communicate its findings to our inner being. If we allow the ego to make comparisons or judgments of those findings, we will suffer consequences. Only our intuition will "feel" the truth of the stimuli we experience. Personality comes from the word "persona," which means mask or veil. Ego falls quite short in its ability to discern the connectivity of its observations because the senses provide only a tiny slice of what is actually there. Because of its stubborn insistence for seeing itself as separate and judgmental, it spoils the harmony and synchronicity of life itself.

We have a bicameral brain -- two chambers. In general terms, the left hemisphere receives energy waves in terms of frequency while the right interprets the same waves in terms of amplitude. Frequency gives us the concept of time and number while amplitude supplies the concept of space and size. It is important to note that everything we envision is seen within our natural mind, not "outside." Helen Keller is probably the best example of this fact. Blind and deaf from an early age, she was yet able to write fourteen books and helped found the American Civil Liberties Union. Obviously, she did that from within her natural mind. Ego thinks in subjective terms when judging its observations, thus is always at least partially faulty in its evaluations. Helen Keller had no ego to spoil her accomplishments.

"We are all born geniuses; society de-geniuses us." R. Buckminster (Bucky) Fuller.

We are all born perfect in the sense of containing the truth. From the moment we are born, the ego is subjected to indoctrination, propaganda, false beliefs and values, as well as fantasy, fiction and folklore, thereby eventually becoming a slave to others' thoughts. To return to our innate truth and gain the self-control we want, we must peel away all the vestiges of untruth -- like peeling an onion. Truth doesn't care about the ego's perspective. It will remain what it is. There is no conflict of good and evil; the real conflict is between truth and untruth.

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." Albert Einstein.

When we interpret waves of energy as frequency, we imagine Time and number. The only time that exists in truth is the moment we call NOW. There is no such thing as past or future in truth. Our inborn consciousness resides in NOW. We imagine Space and size by interpreting the amplitude and size of the energy waves from our Point of View. That consciousness represents HERE. Our true self has always been and will always be HERE and NOW and designates the center of our universe. It is our Point of View.

We will never experience death. The combination of HERE/NOW is the Space/Time continuum Einstein refers to and will always exist.

The third part of consciousness is Understanding. The only ignorant element in our envisioned universe is the imagined ego. To tame it from going against the natural order it has to grow its understanding of its view of the universe. Ego has the ability to change its point of view, but it cannot change what the view really is. Developing our universe necessitates gaining more understanding of what it is as well as what we are.

Tartang Tulku published "Time, Space and Knowledge." In it, he differentiates Great Time, Great Space and Great Knowledge from ordinary time, ordinary space and ordinary knowledge. This differentiation can be compared to Leonardo's "everything is connected" versus the ego's understanding of its peculiar view. There are about three dozen exercises in the book to help seekers of truth delve into their spiritual nature.

"Wisdom begins with the definition of terms." Aristotle.

"The first chapter of wisdom is truth." Thomas Jefferson.

Literacy has a huge impact on the size of an ego's universe. The higher our literacy skills, the greater the universe. A piece of knowledge is mere trivia until it finds its connection(s) in our overall knowledge base. A piece of a picture puzzle is meaningless until we find the corresponding shape in which it fits. It's easy to apprehend a new piece of information, but we must comprehend how and why it fits in our universal view for it to develop. It is comprehension that makes our universe grow. Without a high level of literacy, the puzzle will remain unsolved. Until the ego is motivated to remove its ignorance, it will remain a victim and a slave to others' thoughts and goals. There is a simple difference between ignorance and stupidity - Ignorance is not knowing and stupidity is refusing to comprehend.

The human form is constantly being bombarded by waves of energy that convey meaning to the brain. Those waves are the energy, frequency and vibrations Tesla referred to. Ego is similar to a radio listener. (Thank Tesla for radio, as well.) Most radios have AM/FM capabilities. That means they can receive energy waves using Amplitude Modulation or Frequency Modulation. That's what our human brain does, with the exception that it can interpret both amplitude and frequency simultaneously to create the HERE/NOW. The ego is able to make decisions about what it wants to "tune into." For the most part, ego will choose to tune in to vibrations it "likes" rather than explore the unknown. That is what keeps it ignorant.

We are also like a radar antenna. We project our thought energy outward and wait for the echo. If the echo is not what we expected, it is either because we projected incorrect or incomplete thoughts, are misreading the echo, or both.

Ego is very much like a gatekeeper to its perceived universe. Its job is to gather input from our physical senses and submit it to our true mind, but it has the ability to reject new information from entering if the information threatens its Comfort Zone. It does not like to change when it feels comfortable. If pressured, ego will activate its "fight or flight" reflex to relieve the pressure. The other option is to stay indifferent to the stimulus and simply do nothing.

Running away from truth and/or remaining as an obedient animal doesn't improve our perceived universe. It is when ego attempts to fight truth that we have the opportunity to improve. It is impossible for truth to be defeated, but the conflict may allow the ego to recognize the faulty thoughts it had harbored. In the effort to prove itself right, the ego may "see the light" of truth.

There are numerous ways to be aware of when the ego is taking charge of our actions. Anger, greed, fear, lust, pride, vanity, dominance, and other selfish behaviors are ego traits and easily recognized (and/or manipulated) by the ruling class. They indicate a lack of understanding. To remove any ego trait, we must fight to remove it by knowing why we exhibit it.

Scientists are working on the Grand Unification Theory (GUT) in order to mathematically define the connections between the microcosm and the macrocosm of the observable universe. The terms needing definition are microcosm and macrocosm. If successful, the equations would prove the validity of Leonardo's "everything is connected." In higher mathematics, there is no room for incorrect or incomplete thoughts when explaining truth. The primary purpose of scientific inquiry is to create PROOF.

Einstein's Relativity equation was further developed into Quantum Mechanics. Fermilab and other atom smashers delved deeper into the atom's construction and eventually came up with the dual nature of Wave/Particle. Many experiments stunned physicists when they observed particles behaving according to what they were thinking. Thought transfer!

It makes sense that the Wave/Particle be the microcosm of the universe. It is nature's Consciousness Mirror. Just as our mirrors reflect the equal and opposite image of what we are, so does the Wave/Particle. In their interaction, they create THOUGHT. The universe is expanding because more and more thoughts are being generated. There is no limit to the size of universal thought. The macrocosm will continue to grow.

"Nothing pains some people more than having to think." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Using the electron as an analogy, we can visualize thought as a complete cycle of energy orbiting the atom's nucleus. Regardless of any point we choose on the path, the electron will never repeat an identical path, simply because energy is in constant motion. That slight variation is what allows for adaptation and evolution.

The human ego has the unique ability to stop a thought and contemplate it. The cycle of thought processing goes through several stages -- Awareness, Focus, Analysis, Action and Adaption. The place to be while executing these steps is in our Corpus Callosum. That is the center and balance point of our consciousness. It can be had by meditation. It is our Creative Thinking Center. Ego has no control when we are in this meditative state. We will have achieved self-control. We will be able to change the perception of our universe by changing our thoughts.

"The simple secret of the universe is that we create our own reality." Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 astronaut and founder of Noetic Sciences.

Noetic Sciences deals with the mystical qualities of the intellect and consciousness.

Every genius who has known something of the inner light of consciousness is bound to be a little difficult to be absorbed; he is going to be an upsetting force. Most egos don't want to be disturbed, even though they may be in misery. They are in misery, but they are accustomed to the misery. And anybody who is not miserable looks like a stranger. He who has achieved self-control is the greatest stranger in the world; he does not seem to belong to anybody. No organization confines him, no community, no society nor nation. His very way of being is rebellious - not because he is fighting against anybody or anything, but because he has discovered his own true nature and is determined to live in accordance with it. He challenges us to be courageous enough to take responsibility for who and what we are and to live according to truth.

Homo Sapiens' brains have evolved to the point where they can stop a thought. That is the differentiating factor of people versus most animals. If we visualize our lives as a moving picture, holding a view in our MindSpace is like pausing the movie. We can freeze the image, behold it on a template and contemplate it as we look at a mirror. This is the point of control used to change our future scenarios.

Truth's within us, of this be sure
Shining brightly, grounded and pure
All that we think as well as feel
Must pass its test to know what's real

What we observe is our own thought
Ancient knowledge, battles we've fought
The Truth is here; pay attention
We're in constant evolution

It's always Now -- Eternity
Forever Here -- Infinity
Understanding expands insight
Until we find our divine Light

Decisions occur from our Point of View. While in the calm state of meditation and contemplation, our mind seeks meaning related to our initial thought. If we stay long enough in this meditative state, we can eventually relate all ideas to create our very own "MindSpace." The size of this personal vision depends on the beholder's understanding of many elements. In Captain Edgar Mitchell's words, "The simple secret of the Universe is that we create our own reality."

Helen Keller's MindSpace is notable. Deaf and blind from illness at nineteen months of age, Helen created her vision because of Anne Sullivan. Anne Sullivan is one of Perkins School for the Blind's best-known students. After graduating from Perkins in 1886, she traveled to Alabama to educate Helen Keller and remained Keller's instructor, interpreter, and friend until she died in 1936.

Sullivan learned finger-spelling from Laura Bridgman. A graduate of Perkins, Bridgman was the first person with deafblindness to get a formal education. The two spent time together when Sullivan was a student at Perkins, and Bridgman taught her how to form letters with her fingers to spell out words into the palm of a hand. Sullivan used that finger-spelling method to teach Helen Keller how to communicate.

There is no growth in MindSpace without communicating. Communication is the method to add or subtract meaning from that space. Miss Keller eventually graduated cum laude from Radcliffe, wrote fourteen books, co-founded the ACLU, and many other astounding accomplishments, including studying French. Her notable quote: "There is nothing more pathetic than having sight, but no vision."

For the most part, the multitude
Is not using its aptitude
Realities need to include
Understanding of what we've viewed

Education is a prelude
To understand thoughts to include
And rid us of ineptitude
It all begins with attitude

Meditation in solitude
Provides insight of magnitude
Physical worlds can be subdued
We find the Truth with certitude

Ignorance has no latitude
Communicates just to intrude
Is more involved in servitude
Than attempting more altitude

The wiser soul has gratitude
Pushes aside all platitude
Truth must be used as our soul food
Then our soul search, we can conclude

Another wonder woman is Mary Baker Eddy. The mid to late nineteenth century was an era of immensely significant advances in science and enlightened thinking. After being cured by Dr. Parkhurst Quimby from a debilitating disease, she founded Christian Science with her book "Science and Health with a Key to the Scriptures." She discovered that the Universal Mind most would call "God" only seeks to regain balance in all life forms and heal any ills. Christian Science was pegged as quackery by materialists and industrialists throughout the twentieth century. Voltaire said: "The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease."

Eddy's book has a clear message. It is not physical interpretations that explain our relationship to existence. It is the metaphysical understanding of our thoughts that carves our creations.

Men inflict upon themselves far-reaching sufferings and pass through indescribable torments, both of body and soul, through lack of self-control. By self-control, a man manifests his divine power and ascends toward divine wisdom and perfection.

Calling or not calling upon God or Jesus, Brahma or Buddha, Spirits or Masters, will not avail men who refuse to govern themselves and purify their hearts. Believing or disbelieving that Jesus is God, that Buddha is omniscient, or the Spirits or Masters guide human affairs, cannot help men who continue to cling to the elements of strife and ignorance and corruption within themselves.

From childhood, we begin hiding our inner self away. We learn to adapt and survive in the outside world. Our families and peers teach us socially acceptable behavior. Our educational system teaches us the technical and social skills we need to sustain a material life. As adults, we are thrust into a society geared towards materialism and maintaining the status quo. Rarely, especially in the early formative years, are we taught inner development, emphasizing intuition, the subconscious mind, independent thinking, self-esteem, self-confidence, psychic or inner spiritual growth. The road to enlightenment is an arduous one but is available to all. That road is not one of learning something new but instead discovering what was always there.

Mystic: "A person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or absorption into the absolute by spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect."

Through mysticism, we develop spiritual wisdom, expanded awareness, and a sense of connectedness with everything and everyone around us. In the process, we become captains of our ship and masters of our fate. This state of mind is evidenced by the Toltec Spiritual Warrior, the Buddha of Buddhism, the Hindu yogi of hatha yoga, the Jesus (Christ Nature) of Christianity, and the Sufi of Islam and other examples. Reaching this level of enlightenment necessitates a complete understanding of what we are. Everyone can find their mystical being, but few will make an effort to do so. The mystic lives in a perfect state of being. He becomes oblivious to mundane human activities. He has risen above and beyond his animal body because he lives according to Natural Law.

Natural Law is that set of laws that is the working basis of all creation and without which no manifestation can occur and exist. It is universal in scope and manner of operation, direct and straightforward. Natural Law is always constructive, even when it seems indisputably destructive. It is the expression or manifestation of Cosmic Energy and order that humanity can discern.

There is no such thing as supernatural law. There is nothing more divine than nature, nothing super beyond the natural. The greatest of miracles are not the result of artificial law but of natural law. The mystic has removed all vestiges of fantasy, indoctrination, false beliefs, and false values and is synchronized and harmonized with the symphony of life.

Mystics do everything they can to cultivate and maintain four primary virtues: understanding, service, compassion, and love. These virtues all flow into one another and merge into perfect unity and form one entity. Willpower, perseverance, and trust are three other virtues that need to be manifested to achieve spiritual elevation. The choice is ours, for we have our free will.

Our MindSpace, once expanded by a new idea, can never return to its previous dimension.