ego’s fear of the Eternal Present fuels both physical pain (TMS) and psychological TMS pain

Both physical pain (TMS) and psychological TMS pains are interchangeable, until the root cause is addressed (ego- the thinker). In fact to the brain, both types of pains are the same.

Stanford University's pain studies show the same brain areas lit up for both actual physical pain and psychological pain (social rejection, anger, rage, guilt, shame, regret, anxiety ) .


Let's integrate Eckhart Tolle’s insight on egoic fear of the present with Dr. Sarno’s TMS framework, showing how the same mechanism can create both physical TMS and psychological TMS pain.

Egoic Fear, the Present Moment, and TMS
1. Core Principle

• Dr. John Sarno (TMS): Physical pain is often a psychosomatic response to repressed emotions—anger, grief, or fear. The body “acts out” the mind’s unresolved tension.
  
  
• Eckhart Tolle: Suffering is created when the ego resists the present moment, clinging to the past or projecting into the future. Fear arises because the ego cannot control “what is.”

Connection: The ego fears facing raw reality, and this fear can be expressed either:

• Physically: Tension, back pain, headaches, digestive issues (physical TMS).
  
  
• Psychologically: Anxiety, obsessive thoughts, health worries, mental tension (“psychological TMS”).

2. Mechanism: How Egoic Fear Produces Pain

Stage Physical Pain (TMS) Psychological Pain (Health Anxiety / Mental TMS)
Trigger Repressed emotions or unresolved trauma Fear of illness, mortality, or loss; underlying unacknowledged emotions
Ego Response Cannot confront emotions directly → mind “distracts” itself Cannot confront fear → mind obsesses on possible illness or disaster
Manifestation Musculoskeletal pain, headaches, tension Intrusive thoughts, panic, chronic anxiety
Purpose Protects ego by diverting attention from uncomfortable emotions Protects ego by avoiding awareness of present-moment reality and underlying emotion
3. The Role of the Present Moment

• The present moment is neutral — it is neither threatening nor painful.
  
  
• The ego perceives the present moment as dangerous, because it exposes unprocessed feelings or the futility of controlling outcomes.
  
  
• When the mind avoids the present, it channels energy into pain or anxiety, both of which serve as distractions from deeper awareness.

Example:

• A person feels chronic back pain (TMS). On investigation, it is linked to anger toward a family member they never expressed. The pain protects the ego from facing uncomfortable emotions.
  
  
• A person experiences obsessive health anxiety. Deep down, it may be linked to fear of mortality or helplessness. The mind creates constant worry to avoid fully experiencing the present, where the fear actually resides.

4. Witnessing: The Antidote
Both Sarno and Tolle converge here:

1. Recognize the pain pattern (physical or mental) as egoic protection.
   
   
2. Observe without judgment — witness the thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations.
   
   
3. Allow presence: By staying in the present moment, the ego loses its power to create suffering, and both physical and psychological symptoms begin to ease naturally.
   
   
4. Integration of suppressed emotions: Awareness allows unprocessed feelings to surface safely, removing the need for TMS symptoms or obsessive anxiety.

5. Summary

• Ego fears the present moment → avoidance → pain creation.
  
  
• Physical TMS: Repressed emotion manifests as bodily tension.
  
  
• Psychological TMS / Health Anxiety: Repressed emotion manifests as intrusive thoughts and mental distress.
  
  
• Solution: Awareness and presence dissolve the ego’s fear, allowing natural healing in body and mind.

 

Explanation of Flow

1. Ego fears the Eternal Present → Resists being fully aware of emotions and reality.
   
   
2. Resistance creates tension → Emotions get repressed because they feel “unsafe” to face.
   
   
3. Manifestation of pain:
   
   • Physical: Musculoskeletal pain (physical TMS)
     
     
   • Psychological: Anxiety, obsessive thoughts (psychological-mental TMS / health anxiety)
     
4. Witnessing / Presence: Observing thoughts and emotions without judgment dissolves ego fear, allowing emotional processing.
   
   
5. Healing: Once the underlying emotion is acknowledged, the symptom (physical or psychological) diminishes naturally.
   

Diagram Concept: Ego, Emotions, and TMS/Health Anxiety

 

Saw this this morning but got snagged into a work issue. Glad to see someone reported it along with the other crazy bot.