Resistance
Definition:
The inner pushback against what is.
Resistance is awareness caught in struggle: trying to deny, suppress, or fight against an experience, belief, or feeling.
Nature:
Resistance arises when reality (inner or outer) conflicts with belief, identity, or desire.
It is not the experience itself that creates suffering, but the resistance to it.
Ego uses resistance as a survival strategy: “If I push this away, I’ll be safe.” In practice, it reinforces what it resists.
Mechanics:
Judgment → Resistance: First a thought/feeling is judged (“This shouldn’t be happening”), then resisted.
Loop Formation: Resistance fuels the very state it opposes (e.g., “I must stop feeling anxious” → increases anxiety).
Energy Drain: Fighting against experience consumes energy that could be used for awareness or action.
Contraction: Resistance narrows perception — attention locks onto the unwanted, blinding awareness to alternatives.
Release: When resistance itself is seen and allowed, it collapses. Acceptance does not mean agreement — it means ceasing the inner fight, which frees energy and clarity.
Metaphor:
Resistance is like trying to hold a beach ball underwater — the harder you push, the stronger it pushes back.
Or: like quicksand — the more you struggle, the deeper you sink.