Zombie-land is a place we all have lived—and still do at times, possibly even all the time. We think that we think our own thoughts, beliefs, and opinions but in truth we bought into what we were told. Zombie-land is the world created by our socialization and blind faith in the authorities we meet throughout life. You cannot leave Zombie-land until you start questioning everything. Our world lives by the ego’s rules—Screaming Mimi’s rules—and we are taught to follow them. Mimi thinks she is the Queen, but it is time to dethrone her. For it is Mimi (the ego) who rules Zombie-land. When we dethrone Mimi, we get out of Zombie-land.
One of the best tools we have to get out of Zombie-land is time.
Here’s the plan to dethrone the Queen. First, the Queen wants you to follow the rules she deems important. Instead, take the time to ask the soft whispering voice within. Is this belief, opinion or thought, Truth? You might be surprised at what you hear. It is not easy to see through the Queen’s games partly because it is Zombie-land, so everyone around you has the same misperceptions and misunderstandings.
It takes time and practice to hear the soft whisper of Spirit. The other voice, the Queen, is louder and is constantly commenting on everything. The Queen passes judgment, condemns you, shames you, tells you how things should be done, tells you to be afraid, and is always willing to give advice to all.
Well, I think you get the idea. The advice is not usually wise, and the Queen’s judgment, condemnation, and shame are not useful. All of those things just cause suffering. My worst suffering comes from the endless scenarios I come up with when someone hurts me. I think to myself, I will say this or that, and if they say this, then I will say that. That can go on for days if I don’t quiet the Queen.
The Queen is always going to be with us, and that’s okay—all we have to do is de-throne her and let the quiet voice within rule. I have talked about ways to quiet down to listen. Meditation—get quiet. Practice silence, whether sitting under a tree or listening to the waves or soft music. It does not matter. What works for one does not mean it works for all.
If you can’t get quiet when nothing is bothering you, how will you be able to get quiet when something is bothering you?
Questioning yourself regularly will help bring you to awareness when you are listening to the Queen. Why do I believe what I believe? Where did this opinion come from? Is it the Truth? Do you even question your thoughts? Don’t be hard on yourself—most of us go through much of our lives without questioning them.
You were likely raised by mostly well meaning parents, but if they taught you their beliefs and opinions without question and passed them on to you, it becomes your job to question them. You cannot leave Zombie-land without questioning yourself. For years many were taught girls are not good at science and math. So they did not promote development of those skills in their daughters. Somebody left Zombie-land and proved that was untrue, and now girls are making up for lost time in STEM.
Religions can be part of Zombie-land, too. Stories are passed from generation to generation, and many of us blindly believe. That is Zombie-land. Stories are a bit like the childhood game telephone. Stories are shared generation to generation, and the meaning and the truth get distorted over time.
Let’s use time to our advantage to leave Zombie-land once and for all. Learn to quiet the mind, be still, and question our thoughts, beliefs, and opinions. There is a bright light just a step away. All it takes is to have another thought or as I have said put on another pair of glasses. Thank you for taking time out of your day to connect.
Theresa Contaxis 