Conscious Quote by Aldous Huxley
““In reality, of course, it always does look after itself. All that the conscious ego can do is to formulate wishes, which are then carried out by forces which it controls very little and understands not at all. When it does anything more -when it tries too hard, for example, when it worries, when it becomes apprehensive about the future -it lowers the effectiveness of those forces and may even cause the devitalized body to fall ill. In my present state, awareness was not referred to as ego; it was, so to speak, on its own. This meant that the physiological intelligence controlling the body was also on its own. For the moment that interfering neurotic who, in waking hours, tries to run the show, was blessedly out of the way.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Perennial Philosophy, Aldous Huxley, 1945
The ego’s attempts to control outcomes often backfire, while letting natural physiological intelligence operate freely promotes health and effectiveness.
In simple terms: Trying too hard weakens natural forces; letting go helps.
Key Takeaway
Release control, trust natural processes.
Themes
ego
health
mind-body
trust
control
awareness
Mood
reflective
calm
insightful
Type
philosophical
psychological
When to use this quote
- stress management
- health recovery
- meditation practice
- decision making
- creative work
Key Concepts
psychology
physiology
spirituality
self-regulation
Questions to Reflect On
- How does you control affect your wellbeing?
- When can surrender improve outcomes?
A Different Perspective
If the ego is suppressed too much, essential motivation may wane.
![“[Having] appropriated to itself all conscious intelligence in the universe ...Man faces the existential crisis of being a solitary and mortal conscious ego thrown into an ultimately meaningless and unknowable universe ...and the psychological and biological crisis of living in a world that has…” quote by Richard Tarnas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/492/richard-tarnas-32880_conscious_having-appropriated-to-itself-all-consci_2833241.jpg)
