Self-Talk and Self-Talking-To-Self, Not Exactly The Same

Self-talk and Self-talking-to-Self, are not exactly the same. Self-talk is smaller in scale, more intimate and familiar as waking up in the morning, getting out of bed, washing up, looking in the mirror and getting dressed. It is the primary way we condition mind and create the mind created sense of self, that identity we call “me”.

Self talking to Self, by contrast is much, much larger, on the scale of the Grand Canyon, where that sense of me may feel dwarfed at the canyon’s edge, and implication within implication ripples outward in the vast panorama, of what was, what is and will be. It is awe inspiring, mind bending. Like seeing earth from the moon I imagine.

Self talk is essentially sub-vocalization, barely moving the vocal chords or throat muscles, speaking in the head without moving the lips, except perhaps at a barely minute muscular level, like the slightest of tremors, more imagined than real. And sub-vocalization is related to auto-suggestion and affirmations, which in turn are related to self hypnosis, what we generally call thinking, planning, day-dreaming, figuring things out, philosophizing. Self talk is the voice in the head that provides a continual stream of commentary about the state of our body, our health, our life, our mind, our relationships or lack thereof, things to do, places to go, people to see. Self talk is ego enhancing, negatively or positively. So if that self talk is all about how lousy “my” life is, or how unfair, guess what? You’ll talk yourself right into it.

Self-talking-to-self reflects a radical shift in perception and understanding. It is a realization that starts off tiny and gradually overwhelms. First there’s me, Tony, talking to you, Frank or Bill or Marilyn or Alice. Than some labels, names, word, ideas, concepts are transposed and it’s no longer me talking to you but Self talking to Self. It’s not me lying to you but Self lying to Self. It’s not Palestinian hating Israeli, or Protestant hating Catholic, but Self hating Self. It’s not Linda loving Sam but Self loving Self. It’s not me telling you a story but Self telling Self a story.

This potentially puts a completely different spin on what constitutes Self Knowledge, not to be confused with ego knowledge. And as some folks have pointed out, “Self talks to Self” all over the planet, 24/7 in a never ending conversation.

So if I don’t trust you, it’s Self not trusting Self. If I repudiate you, it’s Self repudiating Self. So every moment of the day Self loves Self, Self hates Self, Self confuses Self, Self violates Self, Self looks after Self, Self loses Self, and Self finds Self. Self is kind of schizophrenic, self loathing, self loving, self destructive, self perpetuating. As you can see implications within implications ripple out all on their own.

So paradoxically, at the level of awareness awakening to itself through the human form, Self Knowledge involves me getting to know you, and you learning about me?