In this episode of Living with Reality, Dr. Robert Svoboda explores urges, why we shouldn’t suppress them, and the difference between cultural urges and physiological urges.
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Urges and Their Suppression
Dr. Svoboda begins by breaking down the list of 14 physiological urges generally found in the ancient Ayurvedic texts. He focuses on the three pillars of life: digestion, sleep, and sexual energy. Dr. Svoboda talks about how none of these physiological urges should be suppressed, as it can severely obstruct the flow of energy moving through the body.
“Because if you interrupt any kind of urge too often, one of the things that will happen when you interrupt it is that your body will start paying less attention to it, because it thinks you don’t want to pay attention to it, for whatever reason.” – Dr. Robert Svoboda
Anxiety and Fear (18:30)
Dr. Svoboda explores how these Ayurvedic texts were written in a time when anxiety isn’t as common as it is these days. He compares and contrasts fear and anxiety; anxiety is oriented towards the future, fear is oriented towards the present. Dr. Svoboda talks about how anxiety is an urge, but not a natural one, and must be dealt with differently.
“Fear is short-lived. Anxiety is a long-lasting situation. Fear focuses on the present. Anxiety focuses on what might happen in the future, it’s a projection. Fear is specific, there’s a specific threat, ‘that’s what I’m afraid of.’ Anxiety is diffuse, it’s broadly focusing on what may be a threat.” – Dr. Robert Svoboda
Positive Urges (26:05)
Dr. Svoboda ends with a discussion of the positive urges we should look to develop. There’s the urge to remain calm, the urge to speak the truth, and the urge to live a spiritually pure life. The ultimate treatment for all problems, as always, is the sweet name of God.
“When you suppress the truth from yourself, then you obstruct the movement of Prana in your system. Because for us, Prana is truth, Prana is reality. And aligning ourselves with Prana means accepting whatever reality we happen to be in.” – Dr. Robert Svoboda