Reflections on Consciousness

Please  explore and reflect on how and what your mind consumes. Please approach these questions below with a fresh beginner’s mind, with great honesty and a spirit of inquiry and curiosity. Watch your mind during the day and note the presence of wholesome and unwholesome mind states. At the end of the day, spend a few moments reflecting on what you have observed, using the reflections. Are wholesome or unwholesome mind states predominant? Are there recurrent patterns of afflictive mind states?

In regarding consciousness as a nutriment, we are asked to observe the mental phenomena that are present in our mind--the mind states that our awareness is consuming--and consider:

How aware am I of the state of my mind throughout the day? Is my mind generally at ease, with wholesome mind state prevailing, or are unwholesome mind states predominant?

How much congruency is there between the state of my mind and how I present myself to the world?

Am I able to distinguish between wholesome and unwholesome mind states?

Are there recurring patterns of stories and resultant unwholesome mind states that tend to repeat themselves in my mind?

How do these affect me emotionally, mentally and physically? What effects do they have on my well-being? How do they affect my relationships with family, friends, co-workers? How do they affect my actions?

Can I identify ways in which I cultivate afflictive mind states (E.g. repeat thoughts/stories that strengthen and maintain the mind state and intensify emotionality and reactivity, allow the mind state to linger in the background of awareness)?

In what ways do I cultivate wholesome mind states? What specific changes do I want to make in what I allow my mind/awareness to consume?

When afflictive mind states are present, how well am I able to turn my attention to awareness (that which is aware of the mind state) and observe and explore the mind state itself rather than being caught in the thoughts, stories, and dramas that triggered and are feeding the state of mind?

How well am I able to regard these mind states objectively and impersonally, without aversion/resistance or attachment/clinging and without judgment or self-criticism?

How strong is my commitment to eliminating unwholesome, negative mind states and cultivating wholesome, positive mind states? Do I trust my ability to do this?