Sense cleanse – Impress and Impressions

A little girl and her mom went for a walk. Mom was walking, but the girl was hopping and dancing, carefree in her own world – without any inhibitions. She connected with her heart and was enjoying herself. She did not care what others would think, or what impression she would create in the minds of others in the street.

The same girl wanted to impress her parents with her best behavior, to get a doll. Her mind craved for the doll, and she expected her parents would oblige her if she impressed them. The child’s subconscious has registered a positive impression from previous experiences, that good behavior brings rewards and happiness. Parents admired her cuteness, and got her the doll. If the parents did not get her the doll, ignoring her innocent attempt to be a good girl, the child’s subconscious will be tainted for life with a bitter impression that it does not matter how we behave.

To Impress – is to have a strong influence or effect on the mind or feelings.

Impression is an emotional feeling that stands out, or that makes a mark. It is a strong effect produced on the intellect, feelings, or conscience.

Impressions are called “Vasanas” in Sanskrit. Vedas say – Vasanas are behavioral tendencies of the mind – tendencies of one’s nature, that form a deep impression on the subconscious mind. These impressions carry across many births, registered as memories. You don’t remember your past, but you might feel very familiar with certain places, people, or objects. You may be able to converse with a person you just met, at ease, as if you have known them for many years.

When you have unresolved problems, happy incidents or fearful experiences, your mind plays those memories back as a tape on repeat mode.

An attempt to impress or an act of impressing can create both positive and negative impressions in you and in others. By impressing, you create your mark. Impressions are perception, and subject to a person’s mental makeup.

You make an impression by crying, announcing your birth in this world.

As long as you have a physical body, you will have emotions and reactions. These reactions are registered as patterns (impressions) in your Subconscious mind.

It does not matter whether you are voluntarily trying to impress, or you are acting/reacting as yourself.

You create a strong impression in yourself and in others, with your emotions and reactions, by being attached to your body consciousness.

The four main emotions – Anger, Fear, Sadness and Happiness, are all a reflection of your reaction to a stimulus. Negative emotions create negative impressions and positive emotions create positive impressions. Anger, irritation, sadness, depression, anxiety, fear, happiness, care, and love are all registered as impressions. Your subconscious is the result of these impressions.

For example, a person says – ”My act of doing a kind gesture is out of Love and Care and I am not trying to Impress anyone”.  It is a kind gesture, without any strings attached, provided there is no expectation from your side. Still, your receiver records it as a loving impression.

“I am acting/reacting as Myself” – doing out of my free will;

“I am what I am and, I don’t impress anyone” – sounds cliched.

When your actions are unattached, you are a free spirit – you don’t register Vasanas or impressions. Your subconscious ceases to exist.

When your actions are done with a purpose of love and care, it is still an output from your senses, an expression of your Vasanas. It will also create impressions.

Another example – Suppose you said something out of love and care, but your friend misunderstands you – you trying to explain is your subconscious reaction to maintain friendship and creating a good impression. If you don’t want to impress, why do you care what your friend thinks?

So, what I want to emphasize is – it is ok to impress and create impressions, as long as it promotes positivity and a healthy atmosphere.

Almost all humans eat to impress their taste buds. Until the sense of taste is satiated, they keep impressing it. That is why weight gain, and diseases are on the rise.

You get used to a taste and this is imprinted in your subconscious. Even after 100 years, your subconscious will be impressed when you get to taste it again!

From your childhood, you hear from your family, that your cousin is the best cook in this world, no matter how physically old you are, you will refer to your cousin when the best cook topic comes. Your subconscious impressions trigger such emotions.

I mentioned earlier about Emotional patterns. You label a person with his emotions as – “he is an irritating fellow”, “a boring person”, or “angry” – even after they have changed their nature for good. Say you meet your cousin, and he used to be short tempered. Now with meditation he has changed his nature. Still, when you see him, you will keep reminding him of his nature – “Oh, you used to be very short tempered!”. This is because, it is very difficult to erase subconscious impressions, unless you try consciously.

Relationship and spousal issues are mainly because, the impression your partner registered differs before, and after marriage. It does not matter whether you created the impression or not.

When in love or in a relationship, you try to impress your partner with surprises and gifts to get attention. After marriage, you stop doing these acts. It shatters the impression your partner has about you.

Why change? It is ok to maintain and grow out of your Ego and comfort zone and impress – to satisfy your partner. It is not faking.

In personal relationships and friendships, people who consider impressing as faking or losing originality – hello! It is your Ego that is holding you back. With open mind and loving heart, think of impressing as caring and making your partner happy.

These impressions are perceptions of the mind – transient. They keep changing, as you evolve within. But the impressions make a permanent scar in the other person’s subconscious. It will take a lot of effort on their part to accept the change in you, unless they try consciously. It is wrong to judge a person based on first impression. There is always scope for improvement in the future.

Nowadays, in this era of vanity and abundance, expectation level has increased, and so has the need to impress and to be impressed. Lot of attention is given to the physical self. There are also set rules by the social culture – as to how to impress. You are more connected to your senses, and your behavior is driven by your subconscious impressions.

For example – flowers, jewelry and surprises to impress a girl; way to a man’s heart is through his stomach; procedure to ask a girl out, propose; expectations for Valentine’s day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day etc. Physical impression is on the rise. More importance is given to body shape rather than fitness. Importance is given to Visual impressions from humans – to food, to clothes and mostly to the impressive ad words.

Your suggestions and advice based on your impression about a person can change over time. Impression is a perception and is subject to change with one’s evolution.

It is compulsory in certain situations to purposely create a good Impression. There is a saying – “First impression is the best impression”. When you go to an interview, you dress up well to create a good first impression; so also, is working hard to get a promotion.

 Impressions on the physical and subtle level:

 On the physical level – impressing is a way of capturing a person’s attention.

On the subtle level – your selfless act of love and care with the sole aim of helping others (though you didn’t try to impress) can create an impression of Happiness and feeling of gratitude in the receiver’s heart.

Impressing out of compulsion keeps you in a confused and anxious state all the time, and drains your energy. It is a great strain on the physical and emotional heart.

As quoted in Bhagavad Gita – Exercise your actions without expectations!

It is your impressions that keeps you attached to the earthly plane. To relinquish earthly plane and to be immortal, keep a clean conscience, develop alertness and keep your conscious mind active. Live in the present expanding YOUR SELF!

Every time, everything does not happen according to your wishes. When to do the adjustment and how to bring a winning note is a skill in living in this outer world – by H.H. Sadguru Dr. Mangeshda

Have an open Mind and an innocent Heart to conquer the World!