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Trey Carland's Blog (52)

​​Radical Non Duality and The End of Seeking

I have not written anything since publishing my second book a year ago, but not long after publication I encountered a message that seems to have taken "my" apparent journey and leveled it. It's not a popular message and certainly not a message I would have chosen to resonate with, but there was apparently…
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Added by Trey Carland on April 4, 2022 at 12:19am — No Comments

There Was a Time…

On the day of the takeover of the Capitol, I stopped to chat with my neighbor, who filled me in on what was happening. He asked me to say a prayer for our country, which I later did. It went a little something like this, “May we all find the peace that we seek and share that peace with the world.” Today, while reflecting on the recent events at the Capitol and the drama that continues to ensue, the impulse to write arose and here is the result:

There Was a…

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Added by Trey Carland on January 12, 2021 at 8:51pm — No Comments

ATTENTION AND INQUIRY

When asked to summarize his teachings in one word, Ramana Maharshi said, “Attention.” That struck home in a deeper way the most recent time I heard it. I thought he would have said, “Silence,” because that what his preferred method of teaching. But his answer makes perfect sense. His teachings on Self-inquiry are all about directing attention from the world of thoughts and objects to the source of attention. Attention has been described as focused Awareness and is the “tool” (if we can call…

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Added by Trey Carland on November 16, 2020 at 12:01pm — No Comments

Dealing with Anxiety

I had a nice conversation with a friend of mine who reached out for some support regarding feelings of anxiety that had become a recurring theme. It's a common feeling we've all felt at one time or another and possibly a feeling that is being triggered more frequently by all of the things going on in the world. My friend seemed to benefit from the words I shared so I thought it might be helpful to put them out there for public consumption. Though this conversation dealt specifically with…

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Added by Trey Carland on June 12, 2020 at 2:03pm — No Comments

Am I in the Body, or is it in Me?

We have been taught since we were old enough to learn that we are the body. But once you’ve had a glimpse of your True Nature as Awareness, that belief begins to get undermined. With subsequent realizations, non-dual moments, awakening experiences, etc., when there is a dis-identification with the body, the belief upon which the whole story of “you” was built begins to weaken. It can be unsettling when the “you” you thought you were begins to appear more like a figment of imagination. I’ve…

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Added by Trey Carland on April 22, 2020 at 2:47pm — No Comments

Are you the Doer?

Do you think you're the doer of things? If not, then read no further. If so, I invite you to ask a few questions and do some further investigation. First, let’s look at the possible options for what is doing the doing. Is it the mind? Is it the body? Or is it something else? Conventional thinking may lead us to believe that the mind is governing the body, so let’s investigate that first. Begin paying close attention to what…
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Added by Trey Carland on April 14, 2020 at 1:23am — No Comments

Symptoms of Peace in a Pandemic

I hope you are all doing well and remaining healthy. I'm feeling called to share something I wrote that came from my work with with inquiry and the pandemic. What helped me could be of use to someone else looking for peace in this very surreal world we inhabit.

In peace,

Trey

Symptoms of Peace in a Pandemic

If you are like most people on the planet Earth right now, then you have most likely been experiencing a lot of fear. There is an undercurrent of fear…

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Added by Trey Carland on March 22, 2020 at 10:54am — No Comments

For the Love of Traffic

[The following words were dictated into my phone while sitting in traffic and later revised while sitting in a café.]


As I was on my way to volunteer at my daughter's school, I ran into a traffic jam on the interstate. Traffic was stop and go. It…
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Added by Trey Carland on November 7, 2019 at 2:55pm — No Comments

What is Spiritual Awakening?

I have been on a “spiritual path” as it is sometimes called, for a dozen years or so. I didn’t choose to be on one. It chose me. When I became what is sometimes called a “seeker” it was not a conscious choice, but something I had to do. I was overcome with the desire to know the ultimate Truth of what we are and why we’re here. The circumstances that led to the birth of the seeker are discussed in another post (LINK) and not relevant to this discussion. Suffice it…

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Added by Trey Carland on July 12, 2019 at 6:27pm — No Comments

No Mistakes

​Have you ever made what you thought was a bad decision? If you think so, then you've probably experienced the frustration of things not working out the way you had hoped they would. However, I would like for you to ponder this: What if there is no such thing as a bad decision? What if there are only decisions? What if i​​t’s impossible to make a mistake in this life? What would happen to this frustration if you dropped the belief that mistakes are possible? Is the idea that things could or…

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Added by Trey Carland on February 28, 2018 at 12:24pm — 2 Comments

Fear of the Future

Fear seems rampant around the world right now. For some it has to do with the impending rule of the new President of the United States. We have heard a great deal about how wrong things could go under Trump, and a lot of it’s easily believable based on the past. However, this is a prime example of how we create fear in our lives -- We imagine a future. We like predictability and are programmed to use our memory to project a future to help put us at ease (or freak us out). Let’s face it, the…

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Added by Trey Carland on January 21, 2017 at 12:41am — No Comments

Trey's Interview with Jeannie Zandi

I had the great pleasure of interviewing Jeannie Zandi recently (www.jeanniezandi.com). She is a great spiritual teacher that I first met back in 2007. In fact, she was the first…

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Added by Trey Carland on January 2, 2017 at 11:58pm — 1 Comment

Divided We Fall

I divorced myself from politics back in 2004 after suffering a grand mal seizure. It happened right after I learned that John Kerry had conceded the election to George Bush, before all of the votes had been counted. I wasn’t a Kerry supporter at the time, but I was a Bush hater. When I went to tell my wife the upsetting news, I fell down and had a seizure. I woke up in the ambulance on the way to the ER. I was later diagnosed with epilepsy, but it was a wake up call that changed my life…

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Added by Trey Carland on December 4, 2016 at 11:57pm — No Comments

My New Job

A change in my employment status led me to a job that I never really thought of. How I got there is a long, and somewhat messy tale with its own set of life lessons that I may talk in more depth about at a later date. For now, the life lessons are bountiful from my current situation.

I am working as a brand ambassador/event specialist for Advantage Solutions*, which is a national marketing company that partners with Walmart stores to promote certain products in their stores.…

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Added by Trey Carland on August 24, 2016 at 8:14am — No Comments

Where is This Thing Going?

Like most people, I find myself caught in repetitive thinking from time to time. It’s usually about something that I need to do in the future, and can be rather bothersome. For example, when I’m laying in bed thinking about something I think I need to do in the future. Obviously there are times when you may need to think ahead or plan, but we tend to get stuck in overthinking things that are really of no importance in the grand scheme of things. It may be helpful to ask yourself, “Can…

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Added by Trey Carland on January 17, 2016 at 8:09pm — No Comments

Change Your Outlook and Change the World

I wrote this letter to a loved one who recently came to me in a lot of pain. He was very frustrated at me and coming at me with a great deal of negativity. I just held space and listened, though some of the words struck me as a bit harsh. I let those feelings come and let them go. There was a time a few years ago that this discussion I had would have left me very devastated, but I could only feel compassion for the pain he was in. One of the gifts that came from this confrontation was…

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Added by Trey Carland on July 23, 2015 at 11:38pm — No Comments

I'll Be Here For You

It has taken a while for me to fully realize the impact of reassurance when a friend or loved one is struggling, stressed or pained in some way. In my world, I see the goodness in the world, and know that personal suffering is avoidable with the proper "tools" (for lack of a better word). But this is viewed as a phony belief by many, and not readily accepted by most. So, it's not very reassuring to approach someone who is upset with things like, "It's going to be okay," much less to say…

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Added by Trey Carland on July 23, 2015 at 11:37pm — No Comments

I Assume You

I hope you have all enjoyed the holiday season, whether you spent it alone or with family and friends. I always learn more about myself when there are others around and when I become open to the idea that they are a reflection of me.



For example, I had this realization that nothing has any drama to it unless I give it drama. I'm referring to the drama that is often prevalent in human relationships and interactions. Someone can be acting upset about something, but…

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Added by Trey Carland on January 3, 2015 at 1:44pm — No Comments

Life's Invitation

Life is constantly inviting you to explore and rediscover your True Nature.  She is sending messages in every moment, regardless of what form it takes, inviting us home.  Attention. Here. Now, she says compassionately with every breeze, every step, every encounter. "Notice the Beauty of Simply Being," she says, knowing full well that it's impossible for people to do, until it isn't.  We're so immersed in the waves of the ocean that we can't see the sea.

When we realize we are being…
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Added by Trey Carland on December 4, 2014 at 2:40am — 1 Comment

Mountains Out of Mole Hills

I hope you are enjoying the long days of Summer.  I love seeing the sunset at 9:00 at night and it feeling like room temperature in the evenings.  Anyway, I felt compelled to write something that might help someone in some way.  I hope you enjoy.…

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Added by Trey Carland on July 31, 2014 at 12:00am — No Comments

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