Ilse Krabben
11 April 2026
We look at people with mental disorders or anxiety as different from us, but if we look closer, we see that their way is actually extremely similar to most humans in this world, just with the volume turned a bit higher, or with fewer tools to know how to cope.
For example, someone who is really anxious and experiences panic attacks… They have all these anxious thoughts that are feeding the anxiety. I was recently in a situation where someone had one, and she believed that she could not breathe. In reality, she could breathe, but the thoughts were not rational or logical. Most people listen to illogical thoughts all the time. Taken seriously, they become a prison of the mind, and in that, not truly alive.
If we don’t learn to listen beyond the mind, we will get in trouble. If we don’t get to know our true self and the awareness and consciousness beyond thoughts, we will have many moments of confusion, doubt, and unnecessary suffering. But if we learn to really know ourselves, not to get distracted, and to stay centred in our being, stay grounded on the earth, and at the same time connected to our soul, we can find peace and strength.
We can find wisdom and support. We are no longer this walking zombie, with less energy or restless, listening to this nonstop radio. No, we know ourselves. We don’t get distracted. We don’t believe all the absurdity in or outside our minds. We are focused. We have a place of calm. We have the freedom to choose how we handle and react to life. And even if we have moments of distraction, which will happen from time to time as we will never be perfect, we have the awareness to recognise this and do what is needed to come back and continue taking steps that are more aligned with our soul’s desires and path.
And this is not some kind of fantasy, lala land, or spiritual bypassing. This is crucial if we want to live more healthily and happily, and navigate this world. And if we learn this, we can help other people do this. We can remind them of their strength to go beyond the mind, to focus on their body, the earth, their breath, and the connection by being really present and looking into their eyes. By having true compassion and presence for ourselves and other human beings. We have no idea how much goodness this can do and bring. And everyone can learn this.
Sitting in ceremonies has shown me these distractions very clearly. But when we are not in ceremony and are in this material dimension, it requires a great deal of awareness and consciousness to recognise these distractions that come through the mind and thoughts. Because these thoughts arise within our mind, it is easy to take them as ours, when in fact, many times they are not.
Speaking about this in the language of energy would make more sense, but for now, I will keep it in words.
Some simple things that can create big shifts:
- Learning to observe without attachment
- Learning to observe without identifying
- Learning to observe without believing everything is true
- Coming back to the body, the breath, the present moment
- Listening to and feeling the sensations in the body
- Respecting the wisdom of the body and heart, and what they need
- Developing a deeper connection with the heart and inner wisdom
- Finding a practice that helps you connect to something greater than yourself, such as prayer, meditation, writing, or walking in nature
- Finding teachers or facilitators who can support you, in groups or one-on-one
- Staying curious and open to discovering yourself and life in new ways, every day
- Making a conscious decision to continue taking steps toward what you want and believe in
About the Author: Ilse Krabben Loux has been working as a writer, storyteller, and workshop facilitator for 16 years, mostly with children. She enjoys contributing to topics and tools that support others. She is currently completing a new study at the Awareness Facilitator School at Working with Satya, which she feels deeply passionate about.
