My last article, Mental Malnutrition, invites us to reflect on the impact of our thoughts on our well-being and sense of peace. I argued that our state of ''mental nutrition'' is even more important than physical nutrition and the foods we eat. If you want to read it, click here.
Becoming Aware of Your Thoughts
The final takeaway of the article was that becoming aware of our thoughts is the first step towards transforming negative, limited, fear-based thoughts. Becoming aware of our thoughts is possible through the ongoing practice of meditation. Besides all the fancy techniques and hoopla out there, at the end of the day it is all quite simple: get still and observe.
Meeting the Inner JudgeAnd the more you do this the more you may begin to notice the voice known as the Inner Judge, Inner Critic, or Superego. (Note: the superego that Freud refers to is very similar with some nuances. In this article I am referring to a more contemporary understanding of the term and will therefore refer to it as the Inner Judge.)
This is the voice in your head that is comparing, criticizing, judging, and shaming you (and others). For most people it is so familiar that we don't even recognize it as destructive. We are simply used to it.
Basically, we have identified with this voice, believing it to be our own voice, and we agree with it.
Origins and Role of the Inner Judge
If for some reason you don't think you have an Inner Judge, think again. It just means you may not be aware of it. Why? Because its formation is an important part of the normal development of the human psyche and it actually plays a protective role in our growth and survival.
The problem is that what was once a protective and useful structure in childhood becomes like a prison to the evolving self that wants and needs to continue to expand in life. As we grow, the inner judge's function is to keep us ''inside the box'', that is, speaking, thinking, and acting in a way that is acceptable to familial, societal, religious, cultural, and historical norms in which we were raised. This ensured that we would fit in, belong, and ultimately survive our childhood. However, as we grow, the same voice restricts our potential, stifling our unique expression and personal evolution.T
hat is why, if you are on a spiritual or personal growth journey, sooner or later you have to reckon with your inner judge. Because personal growth and spiritual evolution and stepping more and more into your authentic self necessarily means breaking out of the box. At which point the judge will actively try to criticize, demean, scare or shame you back into the box.
When you are aware of this, you are in a position to not be automatically entrained into this voice, think it is your own, and agree with it. And consequently you are more able to take that step to follow a dream or desire or make a change.
And I am not only talking about big life altering changes. It can also be something small, like allowing yourself to take a nap because you are tired in the afternoon. Not being relentlessly busy. Making a purchase of a certain service or product that you long for. For example. You can find your own.
Recognizing the Voice of the Inner Judge
Start to become alert to the presence of the inner judge by recognizing:
judgements about yourself or others
comparisons
criticism
feelings of guilt and shame.
When you notice these, you know that your inner judge is active.
Once again it is all about awareness. Recognizing that this voice in your head is not your voice, but the voice of the inner judge. With this recognition comes the journey of defending yourself against the judge firstly by cultivating a clear understanding of what it is, why it formed, how it has served you. And then by turning your attention to listen to a different voice. This is the voice of your soul, your intuition, your true Self. It is a voice full of compassion, wisdom, and benevolence that renders the protective function of the inner judge unnecessary and with time to become less strong.
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