"You Are Not Your Thoughts"
You Are Simply An Observer — Your Role Is To Observe
Unfortunately, most people confuse the soul with the ego, believing that their social identity and the roles they play in life represent their true nature
Have you ever found yourself caught in a spiral of regret or self-criticism, thinking, “Why did I do that?” or “I should have known better”? These thoughts often feel like our own, pulling us into a cycle of negative self-talk.
But what if I told you that these thoughts are not you? What if the truth is that: you are merely the observer of your thoughts, not their originator.
Understanding this distinction is crucial in a world where our psyche is constantly under attack by external forces. In this article, we’ll explore how you can separate yourself from the thoughts that disrupt your peace and uncover your true self—the observer behind it all.
The Distinction Between Ego, Soul, and Spirit
At the core of this journey is understanding the three main components of your psyche: the ego, the soul, and the spirit. [I’ve written extensively about these topics in some of my earlier writing which are now archived.]
These three aspects intertwine to create our experience of reality, yet each plays a distinct role in how we perceive and interact with the world.
The Ego
The ego is the part of our psyche that helps us navigate the external world, shaping our sense of identity based on society’s rules, expectations, and norms.
It is the mask we wear to survive and fit in, built from the messages we receive from birth about what is acceptable and desirable. The ego is essential for functioning in society, but here’s the catch—it is often a reflection of societal conditioning, not our true self.
Your ego is where the “policeman in your head” lives, enforcing societal expectations and internalized beliefs. It judges, criticizes, and conforms.
But while the ego serves as a filter through which we perceive the world, it is not you. The ego can be your biggest obstacle if you allow it to convince you that its fears, anxieties, and judgments are your own.
The Soul
Your soul is your eternal, divine essence. It is who you are at your core, beyond the influence of society, beyond the experiences that have shaped your ego.
The soul is tied to your life’s true purpose, your passions, and your deepest desires. It is the part of you that knows, intuitively, that you are more than just this physical body or the labels society places on you.
Unfortunately, most people confuse the soul with the ego, believing that their social identity and the roles they play in life represent their true nature.
This confusion leads to a lack of fulfillment and a constant sense of something missing because the soul yearns for something deeper and more meaningful.
The Spirit
Your spirit is the divine spark within you that connects you to the greater universe.
It transcends both ego and soul, offering guidance and wisdom from beyond the material world.
While the soul represents your essence, the spirit is the voice that constantly whispers, “There is more to life than this.” It is the spirit that prompts you to grow, to question, and to seek higher understanding.
The spirit’s role is to remind the soul of its divine nature and to push the ego to evolve. When the spirit and soul are in harmony, they work together to guide you toward actions aligned with your highest purpose.
The ego, however, often resists this growth, clinging to fear and control. But remember, this is it’s role: to present the life challenge for us to overcome.
When you understand these three elements—ego, soul, and spirit—you begin to recognize that much of what troubles you is a battle between your conditioned self (ego) and your higher self (soul and spirit).
Once you know this, you can start to observe, rather than identify with, the thoughts that arise from your ego’s fears and society’s influence.
The Origins of Negative Thoughts
Negative thoughts often emerge from the ego, which has been shaped by societal expectations and fears.
In today’s world, we’ve been conditioned—biohacked, in many ways—to adopt negative or limiting thought patterns. This happens through a myriad of external forces: media, social conditioning, and even technologies that manipulate our thinking.
We are bombarded with messages that tell us we are not enough, that we need to conform, achieve, and consume to be worthy. Over time, these messages create a loop of negative self-talk and distorted thinking that we mistake for our true voice.
One of the ways this happens is through a psychological manipulation technique called Phantasmagoria, which I’ve explored in my podcast.
This ancient art, once used to project ghostly images and fear into people’s minds, is now at play in our modern world—through media, marketing, and even the way social structures are designed.
Just as Phantasmagoria once used dark imagery to manipulate emotions, today’s technologies influence our psyches to keep us distracted and anxious. However, in today’s world, it’s under the guise of something innocent: entertainment.
Exposing ourselves to these negative thoughts is meant to keep you limited, fearful, and obedient—exactly what those in power would desire.
The Role of Archons in Our Psyche
Throughout history, many spiritual traditions have warned of Archons—entities that feed off human suffering and confusion. [I discuss this here.]
These beings, mentioned in Gnostic teachings and discussed in Christianity as “principalities,” thrive in the mental chaos they create. Their influence is evident in today’s world: a society obsessed with fear, consumption, and division.
Archons influence our thoughts, emotions, and actions by embedding themselves in the very structures that govern our lives—governments, media, corporations. The goal? To keep us disconnected from our soul and spirit by fueling the ego’s fears and desires.
In the Bible, Paul mentions that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against principalities, spiritual forces that work to control our minds and hearts.
These forces manifest in modern life through the continuous bombardment of negativity and distraction. The more we identify with our negative thoughts, the more power we give to these Archonic forces.
Observing, Not Absorbing, Your Thoughts
So, how do you break free from this mental matrix? The key is to observe your thoughts without internalizing them.
When a negative or fearful thought arises, don’t immediately accept it as truth. Instead, ask yourself:
Where is this thought coming from?
Is it rooted in fear, societal conditioning, or my true self?
Does this thought align with my higher purpose, or is it a distraction?
By practicing observation rather than reaction, you begin to see thoughts for what they truly are—fleeting mental constructs, not reflections of your identity.
Your soul and spirit know the truth, but the ego often clouds this knowledge with doubt and fear. The next time you encounter a negative thought, remember: it’s not you—it’s a product of a world designed to keep you disconnected from your true self.
Strengthening Your Inner World
Now that we’ve explored the origins of these thoughts and the external forces influencing them, it’s time to focus on how you can strengthen your inner world and reclaim your mind.
Practice Neutral Observation: Whenever you experience a negative thought, simply observe it. Don’t judge or react—just notice. This creates space between you and the thought, weakening its grip on your emotions.
Use Positive Mantras: Remind yourself daily that you are not your thoughts. Repeat affirmations that anchor you in your soul’s truth and spirit’s guidance. As an example, a mantra I use is: Every day and every way, I’m getting better and better. I’m aware of the archons, I listen to the divine spark, and I move to manifest heaven on earth and in my heart.
Reduce External Noise: Limit your exposure to media, social networks, and other sources of negative influence. Detox from the constant bombardment of thoughts that aren’t serving your higher self.
Nurture Your Spirit: Whether through meditation, prayer, or quiet reflection, strengthen your connection to the divine. The more you nurture your spirit, the more resilient your mind becomes in resisting external manipulation.
Closing Thoughts
Remember: you are not your thoughts, you are the observer of them. The distinction may seem subtle, but it’s life-changing.
The moment you stop identifying with the thoughts that come from your ego, the Archons, or societal conditioning, you close the exposure to the negative and you open the door to living a life aligned with your soul’s true purpose.
So, the next time you’re faced with a storm of negativity, take a step back. Breathe. And remind yourself that these thoughts are not you. You are the observer, the divine soul, and the spirit within—infinitely more powerful than the fleeting distractions of this world.
If this message resonated with you, I invite you to explore these spiritual insights deeper by becoming a paid subscriber to Unorthodoxy. Together, we’ll continue to uncover the truths of our inner and outer worlds and navigate the complexities of the reality we live in.
Let’s be great.
Ashe.
Franklin O’Kanu
While seeing oneself as the observer can be helpful, it’s not ultimately accurate. The little known work of David Mills called the Law of Implication clears up the foundational errors in our thinking.
One of his students has created some helpful transcripts that lead into it at https://www.mleeweb.com/law-of-implication-mental-images-and-scenarios-by-david-mills/
As long as we remain focused on the objects that appear to our senses as outside ourselves, real and solid, we will hold ourselves in delusion. We are so deeply entranced that we ignore and misunderstand the evidence of quantum physics that our world comprises a mere 0.000001% of the energies in the space wherein it manifests. So, ‘science’ attempts to replicate this ‘light show’ in total ignorance of the nature of the 99.99999%; the Sacred Mind of Consciousness Its Self.
There is no ‘secret’, only ignorance due to the twisting of ‘education’ into indoctrination from its true purpose of ‘bringing out from within’. The outcome of desperate need and narcissism from entrapment in the unconscious terror of separation from the Real. Indeed, mankind is entrapped in ignorance of its own ignorance and so we churn out imbalance and disharmony into the Sacred Screen of space-time. So, we remain in continual breach of the One Divine Law of Balanced, Rhythmic Interchange (Walter Russell, ‘The Secret of Light’)
Our key to liberation from this delusion demands a complete review of its causal factors founded on profound awareness and acceptance of Divine Science. In other words, we must learn to understand that the Universe is the Contents of Consciousness; Divine Mind as The Actor in Its Play, loving the exploration-investigation-discovery of Its infinite possibilities in action. To progress, we must become aware of the 99.99999% energy of space; of this intense framework for manifestation that we take for granted. Only then can we re-member the Oneness of Divine Singularity so long sought by ‘science-in-delusion’, seeking to replicate What-Is-Here-Now.
Quite simply our sense of presence animates the Universe; that is to say, conscious awareness of existence is the causal factor of living; a state that we know subsides, along with all perception, in deep sleep. In effect, imaginary interactions within One Divine Mind create waves that disturb the peace and stillness of Complete Oneness. Movement that generates the electromagnetic structure of space-time, wherein volume and duration enable the manifest world to be perceived – actual omniscience-omnipresence-omnipotence.
Indeed, we are the imagination of One Conscious Presence, which animates unknowable potential into actuality. Pure awareness, with no-thing to know is disturbed in waves of Consciousness moving into manifestation; Unicity into duality; Subjectivity into objectivity, Wholeness into separation, Reality into illusion. Divine Mind is the Reflection of Perfection in rhythmic balanced interchange; perfect peace and stillness transformed into apparent inter-related opposites. Whilst our individual ego-minds have ‘fallen’ into delusion; ‘prodigal sons’ wandering in ignorance and seeking the Self that we are always; as Nisargadatta Maharaj told us ”the seeker is the sought” (‘I Am That’).
We need only the Real Education of Divine Science to understand the inner ‘Stateless State’ of Eternal Oneness in which our ‘bodies’ appear. Knowing that ”we are in Love and Love is in us” reconnects us to Love of Life in One Self ; a State of Awe and Gratitude for That-That-We-Are in This-Here-Now; the knowing ”I Am That I”. This is the essential ‘Conversation That Is Not Had’; the opportunity to represent our return path to Truth, Beauty and Goodness.