Michael A. Singer - A New Way to View Reality and Spirituality

Reality doesn’t come with an instruction manual—or if it does, I must’ve overslept and missed the memo.

So here we are, left to piece together the baffling puzzle of existence on our own. That’s why any insight—no matter how small—into how to better navigate this life is very much welcome.

Like a detective, I’m always on the lookout for clues to help unravel the mystery of life, and whenever I stumble upon an intriguing one, I wish to share it.

Yesterday evening, as I was drifting off to sleep, a podcast episode caught my attention. The speaker was Michael A. Singer, whose ideas offered a fascinating perspective on how to deal with reality. I will summarize these below:

Michael A. Singer defines spirituality as our ability to effectively deal with reality. This approach is compelling as spirituality is often overclouded by mysticism and cryptic meanderings which can put off a lot of people. Anyway, he explains that to effectively deal with reality begins by stepping back from the relentless chatter of the mind, which is often bombarded by fears, judgments, and desires.

To do this, Singer emphasizes the importance of cultivating the role of the "observer"—the part of you that can watch your thoughts and emotions without becoming controlled or consumed by them. In many ways, his teachings resonate with the ideas of Eckhart Tolle, another influential thinker I’ve followed for years, who similarly advocates for detachment and present-moment awareness.

This concept resonates as it challenges the way many of us experience life. Typically, we assume we are our thoughts and emotions—that our inner chatter defines our day to day experiences. This can be annoying at best, and misleading (destructive and exhausting) at worst. Our thoughts and emotions can be clumsy, unpredictable messengers that often send us fragmented, biased, or completely innacurate interpretations of reality.

But it is not just our perception of the external world that becomes skewed. Negative thoughts and emotions can distort our own perception of ourselves, leading to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. When internalized over an extended period of time, these narratives can lead to depression. And for anyone who has been there, you know that digging yourself out of that dark hole can take months, years, or even a lifetime.

However, by cultivating the role of the "observer," you step into a space of detachment, and detachment is the first step towards greater clarity. It offers a practical solution to the chaotic nature of life: instead of being punched in the gut by every fear, judgment, or desire, you can learn to watch your thoughts and emotions play out, on a movie screen. It’s like trading the stressed-out lead role in the drama of your life for the serene, unbothered perspective of someone seated in the balcony, enjoying the show without getting caught up in its intensity.

If this approach intrigues you, I encourage you to explore more of Michael A. Singer’s work. Here’s a link to one of his podcasts—a good place to start your journey toward greater clarity and peace of mind.