The "Second mind"

I recently finished reading Paulo Coelho’s creation- “The Valkyries”. I found this concept of the “second mind” very intriguing. It was one of the many obvious things in the book that the readers can easily relate to. More often than not, we don’t really pay attention nor do we respect this second mind in us.

Photoshop courtesy: Me

We perform our routine chores with consciousness, however, this second mind stays in its own “fantasy” space. It keeps thinking about unmet desires, lost love, unspoken dreams, the life after death, all sorts of mystic and so-called-senseless-emotions. At times it dwarfs the primary thoughts, for instance when we try recollecting beautiful memories from the past or try to imagine ourselves in an ideal state of mind or physical state of being. It is the ruler in the kingdom of creative thoughts and ethereal experiences. It is an essential dose of drug that inebriates us ,that gives us those “lost-in-thoughts” , “nostalgic” moments. We then suddenly wake up to realize how addictive this second mind can be, how it can posses us, drive us crazy and take us away from the reality(in terms of what we see). But, trust me, great artists , writers and even scientists let the second mind posses them, willingly. That is why a handful of those remain unique, they stand away from the crowd ,away from the regular people.

I personally believe that the second mind can be tamed, befriended and be used in a very productive way. It is needed, at times, to accept the invisible, to accept that instincts exists and that they turn out to be sensible (most of the times). Folklores talk about omens, of misleading will-o-the wisps, there might not really be a visible smoky flame in front of you, they might be true, they might not be true. I see it from a different perspective though. I see these mystic mentions as a means of communication between the real and virtual world or so I choose to believe. If you want to feel a little more awesome and magical and relive the child in you, listen to your second mind more often and believe that sometimes believing gives the third dimension and makes the virtual picture more realistic. That joy of rediscovering the eager child in you who is a thousand times more creative than your older self, who knows lesser facts and numbers and hence is more peaceful and fun loving is a blissful experience worth enjoying!