From whence and where do urges come? How is it that we have the urge to do something? What is an urge? What is the urgency of understanding our urges? Are there levels of urges? Are some urges more urgent than others? Is there a difference in the urge to scratch a physical itch and the urge to scratch a spiritual itch?
An urge is a compelling need for action. Some urges appear to be more compelling than others. Urges exist in differing realms: physical urges, emotional urges, cognitive urges (the desire to luxuriate or obsess in certain thought domains), social urges, spiritual urges (the desire for deep knowing and moving in accord).
Some say that all urges arise from the meat we are, from our physiology. Others say that urges are a characteristic of our consciousness state or of our soul. Others ask who it is doing this saying.
If we perceive that we are in a hierarchy, we follow a chain of command. It becomes urgent that we follow the orders from “above” and that those “below” us follow our orders. Our urges are constrained within a militaristic code of conduct. All is in order and we know our place in the universe. We are a thing among things. Somewhere above us is the Great Thing which knows all things.
If we perceive that we are in a holoarchy, a concentric universe in which spheres of awareness are nested within spheres ad infinitum, we live in an instructional interflow. We realize that we are not our body, not our emotions, not our mind. As Roberto Assagioli used to say: “I have a body but I am not my body. I have emotions but I am not my emotions. I have a mind but I am not my mind.” I would add to this: I have urges but I am not my urges.
All becomes less urgent and transforms into emergent. I follow what is unfolding in this moment now. Here is no next moment. Here is only momentum.
An urge is a compelling need for action. Some urges appear to be more compelling than others. Urges exist in differing realms: physical urges, emotional urges, cognitive urges (the desire to luxuriate or obsess in certain thought domains), social urges, spiritual urges (the desire for deep knowing and moving in accord).
Some say that all urges arise from the meat we are, from our physiology. Others say that urges are a characteristic of our consciousness state or of our soul. Others ask who it is doing this saying.
If we perceive that we are in a hierarchy, we follow a chain of command. It becomes urgent that we follow the orders from “above” and that those “below” us follow our orders. Our urges are constrained within a militaristic code of conduct. All is in order and we know our place in the universe. We are a thing among things. Somewhere above us is the Great Thing which knows all things.
If we perceive that we are in a holoarchy, a concentric universe in which spheres of awareness are nested within spheres ad infinitum, we live in an instructional interflow. We realize that we are not our body, not our emotions, not our mind. As Roberto Assagioli used to say: “I have a body but I am not my body. I have emotions but I am not my emotions. I have a mind but I am not my mind.” I would add to this: I have urges but I am not my urges.
All becomes less urgent and transforms into emergent. I follow what is unfolding in this moment now. Here is no next moment. Here is only momentum.
Beautifully written. I choose Be-ing in the Now, and an Emerg-ent versus Urg-ent orientation in Life.
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