Power of NOW - pain body question

[TheFlyingMan]

Eckhart Tolle (Power of NOW, A New Earth) has mentioned that as we observe and bring our presence to the pain-body, it transmutes into even more presence / stillness.

Do you think we should draw out the pain body on purpose to observe it? Like think bad thoughts to get angry and then observe it to transmute it? Or is that simply lowering our presence only to raise it again?

I also had my pain body triggered just now. I was stuck in a traffic jam for an hour or so and I got pissed off. Strangely enough I was observing myself get pissed off but I still started yelling. Normally I catch myself starting to get upset and within a few minutes I return to peace without any external signs that I even got upset. This time I blurted out a few obscenities in (very loud) anger - but was still sorta watching myself do it. Has this ever happened to anyone?

[Mayo]

Usually when i'm angry, i get in position when i feel something like excessive energy going out of my head, something like lightning. Generally you should control your rage in public. The best way is to take out the frustrations with aggressive music with deep lyrics in your home (to me it's goth metal, to you it can be something else), but be careful because when you extract energy outside it tends to amplify when not necessary.
You should meditate when you can (read topics of your interest), and when you next time get into traffic jam(though not while You're driving) think about that topic, examine it from different sides and generally philosophize about it in your head. That way you wont have time to think about traffic jam but about something totally different.

[Angela]

TheFlyingMan, the pain body continually asserts itself -- why prod it out deliberately? I suspect it may be your pain body itself asking this question. Maybe you're thinking that you can bring it out, be present and observe it, and then you're kind of "done"? or maybe you're thinking it might be just good practice for when it comes on you unawares? Either way, it sounds like the pain body looking for pain food. If that is so, your ego is a brilliant strategist, I must say!

When traffic thwarts you and your pain body starts growling, have you noticed that traffic actually gets worse? Stalled traffic and bad drivers are a big trigger for me, too ("you are so WRONG!" "get out of my WAY!" although usually I don't say it out loud!) and I've noticed that if I remember to be present and not identify with my thoughts about what's going on, the whole traffic scenario suddenly becomes more manageable. Other people start merging well and flowing smoothly. What is that all about?! I don't know, but it seems to me that I can depend on it.

As far as "just sorta watching yourself (scream obscenities)" ... I have done that in other situations. It's like I'm not really committing to being present, but halfway trying. At those times, part of me is still giving in to my pain body and identifying with the pain (often righteous indignation for me), while convincing me that I'm indeed being present (not!). It looks like this: "I am being present, why can't that other stupid person be present, too!" Yikes. The little trickster.

[Joshiepoo3000]

This reminds me of techniques used around the world to raise the quality of life through laughter. People go to group meetings and make each other laugh for a few hours. It's actually quite funny just watching.

There are many effects from emotions and people want to feel the stimulation from those effects. For instance, the crazy people in the slowing of time forum think they are controlling time with their mind. Actually they are focusing on emotions like stress and fear that get adrenaline pumping in their body. Anagogy believes he has figured out a way to make himself reach this euphoric state of timelessness, when actually he is just making his body pump adrenaline, Psychos! I swear there are some freaking nerds in this forum. I can't say much though considering how much of a complete dork I am.

I think this is all about chemicals. The drugs people us are natural and synthetic chemicals that stimulate and depress people and take them outside their sobriety. I wonder how many people in this forum are on some kind of drug. What is interesting is that so many people are experiencing "enlightenment" by learning how to control the chemicals that are naturally in their bodies to experience something perceived to be out of the body. It's very exciting, I just wish people would see it as it is instead of all this crazy oneness, slowing time, and everything being subjective talk.

[TheFlyingMan]

Thanks, great replies everyone.

Angela, that is brilliant. Hehe. I think you've hit the nail on the head.