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© George Hartwell, 2006, All rights reserved
Our autonomous mind is the intellect disconnected from our heart. It is our intellect trying desperately to control life and suppress heart and intuition. The Autonomous Mind is busy thinking and doubting when it is time to open one's heart to be, to love, to trust and believe. It a problem in marriages by blocking personal connection, intimate sharing, expressing and receiving affection and deep connection and bonding.
We need our Autonomous Mind when we learned to achieve recognition, security and survival through intellect. We need the Autonomous Mind when we decided, in childhood, that we could not trust others to be there for us and that we had to look after ourselves. Our parents may have had a trust of intellect and a distrust of enthusiasm and emotion. They may have cultivated the autonomous mind in us.
An autonomous mind is a block to marriage because it puts a stopper on the bottle of emotion. Like black and white TV when colour television is available, life without emotions lacks zest, interest, and heart. In Canadian polotics Brian Muroney was disliked and distrusted. Our Prime Minister's problem was that he was too coll and unemotional in a crisis. Today Hiliary Clinton showed some emotion on the campaign trail and it helps to know that she has feelings.
Here are some of the signs: We have all the right answers. We say, "I can figure it out." We communicate, "Listen to me." but do not listen to others. Our pride may lead to the delusion that we do not need _______ (God, others). Constant analysis, questioning and doubting paralyzes decision-making (Paul Martin), freezes love and blocks trust and belief. In close relationships: "I don't know what it means to say: 'I love you.'"
Living with an 'Autonomous Mind' leads to alienation from our heart and spirit. We will be or become blocked (Blockheads) concerning people, emotions, personal issues, intuition and gut feeling. We may avoid matters of dream and vision.. We may loose our protective gift of spiritual discernment, our sensitivity to God's guidance and our access to creativity, inspiration and wisdom from above. We may oppose the idea of being lead by the Holy Spirit, the possibility of love and of knowing and communion with God.
Anything that comes between us and God can be seen as a form of idolatry. Every sin is a form of idolatry. In this case the "mind" wants to control everything and becomes the source of security and not God. Therefore, "Autonomous Mind" is a form of idolatry.
Confession of the Sin of Idolatry
To break the hold of the Autonomous Mind use confession of sin and the forgiveness Scene (described under counselling session component #6).
Declare Jesus as Lord of the Autonomous Mind
By putting Jesus as Lord, Healer, Saviour and Deliverer we begin to humble our mind and let Jesus take His rightful place.
Put it in a picture
A picture is worth a thousand words, in part because pictures are the language of the heart. What picture can you imagine that represents Jesus dealing with the problem of our Autonomous Mind? (Follow up from the picture prayer as described in session component #9 and 10.)