In the last post I touched on the idea that one should include only positive elements under their DOH (Dome of Heaven). On reflection, that idea deserves further illumination. Our personal DOH is intended to be a stress free zone, thus there is no room for stress inducing recollections. Life experience always has its negatives; some are of our own doing and some just happen and are beyond our control. If allowed, negatives can dominate our lives and impair our sense of well-being.

When negative experiences are consequent to our own actions, the superego never lets it us forget them. Sure, we can push those experiences to the back of our mental shelves, but they are always going to be there if we choose to look. Hopefully, we listen to our superego and avoid repeating the same mistakes.  Others may choose to remind of us of our transgressions from time to time as well, so there is no reason to purposefully include them beneath our DOH. Our super ego and other individuals will surely remind of those events. Some negative experiences in life are beyond our control, and may be very painful. These too will be difficult to put aside, but a positive DOH can help us in those circumstances. Correctly developed, a DOH acts as a shield from the negative and a refuge in times of stress. When required, it acts as a personal sacred spot that lowers blood pressure and provides a setting for contemplation and reflection. Such are the strengths of a DOH.

We all stand under our own dome of heaven whether we generate it with intention, or we just end up with whatever develops over our lifetime. Try this exercise. Think about your life experiences without much in the way of deliberate focus. What stands out in your thoughts, positive elements or negative elements? Chances are, you need to think a bit more to generate positive recollections as opposed to negative ones. Which of those types of recollections do you recall in greater detail, positive or negative? The trauma and detail of negative events are closer to the surface of memory than the pleasure of positive events. Read the brief article that appeared in the New York Times on March 23, 2012 by Alina Tugend titled, Praise Is Fleeting, but Brickbats We Recall, for some insight. This is one of many references that address this topic. Simply put, we need to work at resurrecting positive memories if we want to hold on to them, and include them under our Dome of Heaven. More on this idea to follow in my next post.

The Dalai Lama might want to add to this post. What do you think he might say? Please comment…

As always, your faithful blogger,

L. Alan Weiss – Author – Through a Lens of Emptiness: Reflections on Life, Longevity and Contentment

Please visit my website at www.lalanweiss.com