The Untethered Soul summary

We all have a little voice in our heads. It is our inner monologue – or stream of consciousness, the style in which author James Joyce wrote Ulysses.

But what is it exactly, and why does it never stop talking?

If you pause for a minute, you should be able to hear it. Your inner train of thought hardly ever stops to take a break!

Your first step toward enlightenment is to start paying attention to your inner voice.

You also need to understand that your thoughts don’t define you. They're simply outputs of your consciousness. Your consciousness is the part of your brain that spends all day processing your thoughts and feelings, and the information your senses pick up.

When you start paying attention to your inner voice, you'll notice that it follows certain patterns. Sometimes it makes you worried, upset or surprised. It also influences your emotions.

Sometimes we get so caught up in our thoughts that we forget they’re actually just objects of our consciousness. This is the difference between our self and personal self.

Your self is your pure consciousness, which flows as it likes. Your personal self is the way you perceive yourself and the patterns of your thoughts.

If you often feel sad, for example, you may start to think of yourself as a sad person. If you're always envious of others, you might see yourself as a jealous person.

To become enlightened, you have to accept that these thoughts and feelings don't define you. Your sadness isn't you. Your jealousy isn't you. The real you is merely aware of the role these thoughts and feelings play.