Unachievable – is the want about fixing in place or getting rid of an emotion?

In their book, Stealing Fire, Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal calculate that the industry of ‘shutting off the self' is worth $4 trillion a year. They include all the activities, substances, experiences and practices that ultimately have the result of shutting down – even if only momentarily the burden of self-focus.

As they pointed out, many of these are ‘impulsive, destructive and unintentional’. They include activities such as legal and illegal drug taking, pornography and gambling which can, of course, become addictions and create more problems for the ‘self’.

They write, “When you think about the billion-dollar industries that underpin the Altered States Economy, isn’t this what they’re built for? To shut off the self. To give us a few moments of relief from the voice in our heads.”

Unachievable reveals why the mind is fixated on the self and why that focus is a never-ending cycle of auto confirmation. Recognising what is Unachievable marks the end of using the experience of being as the central focus for decision-making or the motivation of behaviour.

Will the party make me happy?
Will the conversation make me feel secure?
Will the project make me feel valued and appreciated?
Will the class make me feel calm?
Will the relationship make me feel loved?
Will the job make me feel successful and respected.

It is amazing just how much the drive for Identity security is running the show. It is even more amazing how all of this is a series of Unachievable Wants that only create more separation from the experience that is so desperately sought. If the want is about permanently fixing in place or getting rid of an emotion it is completely Unachievable.