AWARENESS

"Relative to the level of awareness that is possible for us, our ordinary state of consciousness is as far from a direct experience of reality as sleep is from waking consciousness." -- Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson "The thought 'I exist' is not the same thing as the awareness of one's own existence. ... Thought is not the same thing as consciousness." -- Jacob Needleman

INNER CRITICS

"The Inner Critic makes each of us a child. As we become the child in our relationships, we lose our sense of self. We are no longer self-contained, self- respecting adults. We look to others for validation. Our self-worth is based upon their opinion of us. Thus, everyone around us becomes a mother or a father whose support and approval is desperately needed to protect us from the constant criticism of the Inner Critic." -- Hal and Sidra Stone