The Art of Being Here: My Journey into the Subtlety of Mind
Posted on July 13, 2025 by Anil Kanthi, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
Using the present moment as my platform for self-discovery
Discovering the Subtlety of My Mind-
I’ve long used the present moment as my platform for exploring the nuanced layers of my mind. Consciously questioning what’s happening in my mind has been my gentle approach to letting it reveal its complexity.
Embracing Psychological Openness-
I’ve learned that being open to all psychological possibilities is vital. A mind unconscious for decades doesn’t easily relinquish its survival mechanisms.
But when I allow myself to see whatever my mind is doing without judgment, that openness is like the first ray of light, illuminating the path from unawareness to awareness.
This marks the beginning of a profound journey.
My mind often resorts to memories — pain, joy, or random thoughts linked to past experiences — to give a fresh, emotional twist or reaffirmation to what I’m experiencing now.
Do you see how my mind, with all its contents, does everything in its power to prevent me from just being in this moment, which, in reality, is all there is?
Understanding My Mind’s Nature-
The nature of my mind is to exist and protect me. It plays its recordings to keep existing, just as my body needs food.
What would my mind do with all that space if no thoughts were playing? Nothing.
It can exist without its constant playback. I’ve had moments of awe where no words filled my mind — that’s me perceiving reality without my mind getting in the way.
My body filters out what it doesn’t need from food, but my mind doesn’t have such filters for information.
It keeps everything growing in complexity from childhood by connecting new data to what has previously worked. This profoundly affects who I am today.
The Cycle of Information, Meaning, and Patterns-
Information → Meaning → Pattern
Here are some patterns I’ve identified that can be self-defeating:
Example 1:
As a child, I wanted a toy, cried when my parents didn’t buy it, and got it when I did. The pattern I learned was to cry to get what I wanted, a pattern that persisted into adulthood.
Example 2:
In college, I skipped classes to explore the cyber world, lied to my parents, and continued because they didn’t check. The pattern was to lie to avoid confrontation.
Example 3:
Having been cheated on in past relationships, I found myself with similar partners, coping by convincing myself that being cheated on was okay because I loved them beyond their actions.
The more these patterns are reinforced, the deeper they become ingrained, making them harder to recognize, thus increasing my unawareness. Yet, the power of awareness is such that it can dismantle these patterns instantly. The meanings my mind creates are survival tactics, not reflections of reality, which don’t require validation to exist.
Beneficial Patterns-
Not all patterns are detrimental, though:
Example 1:
After damaging my car in a pothole, I learned to drive around it, showing how patterns can serve daily life.
Example 2:
After years of drinking, a health scare led me to reassess my habits, changing my pattern from drinking to sobriety for health.
Example 3:
Realizing I deserved respect, I ended a toxic relationship, finding freedom in new patterns of self-worth.
Information as Memory-
For me, information and memory are interchangeable; every information I receive is stored, consciously or unconsciously, shaping my present moment. Just as cells are the building blocks of my body, information forms my past.
Being Present-
Being here in the now means letting information pass through me without influence, simply observing and acting consciously.
Information → No Meaning → No Patterns
Example:
When my partner’s morning routine disturbed my sleep, I communicated my needs without attaching blame or creating patterns. We found a solution instantly because I treated the information as just information.
Handling My Thoughts-
In my daily life, thoughts emerge from the depths of my mind. When they surface, I look at them:
What are these thoughts about?
How do they relate to what my mind already knows?
These thoughts often replay established mechanisms for security. But they’re not inherently good or bad; the meanings I give them create this duality.
Thoughts aid in learning, problem-solving, and connecting with others, but there are moments when their utility fades, becoming clear when I embrace the art of being here, in the now.
The Art of Nilness-
I’ve found that implementing The Art of Nilness in my daily life and moment-to-moment presence makes it crystal clear when my mind’s usefulness has no place.
This practice of being here, of allowing information to just be, without adding layers of meaning or creating patterns, has transformed my life experience, leading me to a deeper understanding of myself and my interactions with the world.
