We Create Our Own Realities | Suresh Shankar | TEDxBHIS Kanpur Youth

Key Concepts

• Reality Creation: The central idea that individuals actively create their own realities through their thoughts.
• Thought-Reality Connection: The direct link between thoughts, patterns, and ultimately, manifested realities.
• Mindfulness & Meditation (ध्यान): A tool for controlling thoughts and shaping reality through breath awareness.
• Pattern & Destiny: How consistent thought patterns establish life patterns and influence one’s destiny.
• Internalized & Wireless Signals: The concept of thoughts creating both internal physiological changes and external influences on the world.
• Mental Housekeeping (मानसिक स्वच्छता): The practice of consciously managing and filtering thoughts to create desired outcomes.
• Conscious Creation (सृष्टिकर्ता): Taking responsibility for one’s thoughts and intentionally shaping one’s reality.

How We Create Our Own Reality

The speaker begins by establishing the fundamental premise that we are all creators of our own realities, a concept often absent from traditional education. This isn’t merely a philosophical idea, but a demonstrable truth. The simple act of breathing, something we take for granted, illustrates this point. While we all think we are breathing, becoming mindful of the breath reveals its constant presence and the conscious choice involved in actions like raising a hand.

The core mechanism is that every reality begins with a thought. As an example, the intention to make tea initiates a cascade of billions of cellular processes to fulfill that desire, even before the necessary ingredients are present. The initial thought – the “seed” – is the catalyst. The speaker emphasizes that the cycle from thought to manifestation can be short or long, but it always occurs.

Thoughts Shape Patterns and Destiny

Our thoughts don’t just create isolated events; they establish patterns that shape our destinies. The speaker uses illustrative examples: one finds sick people in hospitals, dancers in dance schools, and those enjoying food in restaurants. This demonstrates that our choices and consistent thoughts lead us to specific environments and outcomes.

He explains that we all arrive in life with pre-existing patterns, like clouds forming in a particular way. These patterns can be detrimental, such as a habit of anger leading to stomach problems, diabetes, hyperacidity, and gastritis. Similarly, excessive talking can manifest as thyroid issues. The key takeaway is that every cell in the body is controlled by our thoughts and commands. Blood flow, hormonal changes, and even life-threatening events like panic attacks are directly influenced by our mental state.

The Current State of the World: A Reflection of Collective Thought

The speaker observes a rise in anxiety, panic attacks, cardiac arrests, and depression, attributing these to a collective thought process focused on negativity. Conversely, those focused on health are naturally drawn to yoga schools, jogging tracks, and sports. This reinforces the idea that our collective thoughts manifest in the world around us.

He stresses the importance of mindfulness regarding every single thought we generate, comparing the mind to a seed. What we sow determines what we reap.

The Mechanism of Reality Creation: Seed to Tree

To understand how this process works, the speaker uses the analogy of a seed growing into a tree. A mango seed will only produce mangoes, not karela (bitter gourd). Therefore, expecting success while consistently focusing on negativity and failure is illogical.

He introduces the concept of internalized and wireless signals. An internalized signal is the body’s acceptance of a thought – for example, believing one will develop diabetes due to family history. This sets the body on a path to manifest that belief. The “wireless signal” extends this thought into the external world, creating a demand for related resources – hospitals, syringes, insulin, and related industries. The universe responds to our thoughts, preparing the environment to match our internal state. This applies to relationships as well; genuine connection requires internal alignment, not just outward friendliness.

The Mind as a Weaving Machine & The Problem of Thought Pollution

The speaker describes the mind as a continuous weaving machine, with thoughts as the design patterns. We are constantly weaving our own lives. However, he points out that we generate between 5,000 to 50,000 thoughts daily, and 99.9% of these are unconscious – thoughts we don’t even want to create.

This leads to thought pollution, akin to a farmer sowing seeds without knowing what they are. This reckless creation is responsible for global terrorism, insurance companies, hospitals, and the ammunition industry. We are creating things without conscious responsibility.

The Solution: Mindfulness & Meditation (ध्यान)

The speaker shares his personal journey and the guidance he received from ब्रह्मर्षि पत्री जी, a spiritual scientist, who introduced him to the tool of meditation. He explains that the mind is naturally restless, like a monkey, constantly jumping between the past and the future, never fully present. Where our attention goes, energy flows, and reality shapes.

The solution lies in returning to the present moment through breath awareness (breath mindful meditation). The breath is always happening, regardless of our emotional state. By focusing on the breath, we enter a meditative state (ध्यान). Meditation is described as a “shower for the mind,” a practice of mental housekeeping.

He advocates for “Six Sigma” mental discipline – being aware of even one unwanted thought in a million. This level of awareness is enlightenment.

Practical Application & Conclusion

The speaker urges listeners to dedicate just one minute of every birthday to themselves, practicing mindfulness. He emphasizes self-care as the foundation for helping others: “Be selfish, then become selfless.” He has been practicing this technique for over a decade and passionately shares it with others.

He concludes by reiterating that we are all creators, but we often don’t know what we are creating – a mixed fruit tree. Therefore, mindfulness of every thought is crucial, as everything is accountable, like transactions in a bank account. Our present state is the sum total of all our past thoughts. Breath mindfulness and meditation are the tools to become conscious creators (सृष्टिकर्ता), responsible for the realities we manifest. He encourages everyone to embrace this role and avoid being reckless parents to their own minds.

Notable Quote:

“Every thought is accountable, like in a bank passbook. Even if it is a 50-year bank account, the balance today is nothing but the sum total of all the transactions we have done.” – The Speaker.