Tame the mind. Hear the voice of the soul

You can judge what devilry looks like among people from our usual environment by a letter from a young man who tried to combat his many years of smoking addiction.

Hello, dear Sergey Nikolaevich, and the team at lazarev.ru!

I have been smoking for over 18 years (I am now 35).

I decided to quit. For me, it was like one of the stages of self-improvement.

And I just got tired of this nicotine slavery.

I read Allen Carr's book «The Easy Way to Stop Smoking», gathered my thoughts and willpower... and I quit. I stopped smoking.

For two days I felt simply wonderful and was very happy! Those who smoke will not understand this.

I managed the physical withdrawal and adaptation easily.

I also easily overcame the psychological aspects of smoking. I thought: «Well, here comes freedom, soon and close!»

But a surprise awaited me from where I least expected it.

By the end of the second day, it was as if a demon had possessed me.

I wanted to swear, scream, and I felt like doing it constantly.

My close people irritated me terribly, pride inside me soared incredibly... I just felt my soul dying. I felt that I was simply «turning black» inside.

I repeat, I had no physical or psychological breakdowns after 18 years of smoking. I didn't want to smoke.

But I became frightened by this demon that had emerged from within me. I didn't know what to do...

I remembered your words from various lectures, books, seminars, that smoking «neutralizes» some self-destruction program, destabilizes the mind (sorry if I'm not expressing it accurately).

To stop this soul decay, I decided to resort to destroying the body - I went outside, bought a pack of cigarettes (I really didn't want to smoke) and, nearly crying, smoked about 5 cigarettes.

It immediately made me feel better. The irritation went away.

I felt like I was lighting up inside and became kinder.

Sergey Nikolaevich, what was that? How can one quit smoking without harming the soul?

Thankfully, I have no other dependencies (alcoholic, drug-related, gambling, etc.).

Your books have been a staple for me since 1998, have greatly influenced my worldview, taught and continue to teach me to love and live, and so on, but that's another story.

Thank you very much for your work and creativity! And thank you for your possible response.

Respectfully…

*****

I wrote the following in response to the young man: You have a classic case of overstimulation of consciousness. In this situation, it loudly asserts itself, taking the forefront and begins to dictate its rules.

When the mind tries to control feelings, the soul, that’s when demonization begins.

Therefore, Christ said: «Blessed are the poor in spirit.»

If you had not read my books, the process of increasing pride and soul degradation would be perceived naturally and painlessly. But now you are acutely feeling it. You need to suffer through it and endure. You need to pray and fast.

Instead of smoking, soothe the mind by visiting temples, engaging in sports, walking, and physical labor. Christ's disciples did not fast. Pride is sharply weakened by fasting and hunger, but fasting and hunger are close to techniques.

But Christ needed his disciples to overcome pride through the right system of values and character improvement. The same is now required of you. The main thing is that you have started to orient yourself correctly.

S.N. Lazarev, «Blessed are the poor in spirit»