8 Reasons why you need to practice “Witness Mode”

In the last blog, we saw the power of words, we’ve already discussed the importance of awareness and action in various blogs. This blog intends to make the actions be performed with ease by giving you 8 reasons why you need to practice Witness mode.

Ease in action can be achieved through this popular yet working philosophy called the witness mode – that is to be detached from your body & mind and witness your life as it passes through time.

Essentially, we are learning to say “That is not me” when we see thoughts, words, and actions that form various situations before us. We are practicing to see that we are not the object in observation but the subject who’s observing the object. This connects to Advaita further, if you’re interested, you can read my 6-part blog series on Understanding Advaita too.

“Witness mode” is just a fancier name.

Witness mode is practicing detachment in its simplest form. I’ll clearly mention that there are no mystical experiences involved in this practice. It’s simply the byproduct of the awareness that – “You are not that”. It’s the application or practice of that wisdom. So please don’t try to imagine yourself from a third-person perspective walking in the real world like in the GTA.

There are a lot of benefits in choosing to practice witness mode, I’m trying to articulate only a few that I’ve noticed have helped me.

Benefits of Practicing Witness Mode:

1. Prevents a lot of mental damage or leaving mental impressions/residues. By practicing witness mode, you are essentially creating more distance between you and your situations, right? So, especially during low times, the thoughts, words, and actions of the situation will hurt you less. If not hurt less, it surely leaves less residue for the future.
2. Boosts your self-esteem. Because now you do not see yourself as the one limited to your situation but the eternal observing the situation.
3. This too shall pass. You might have heard this everywhere and a lot of times. Not surprisingly but obviously, even that wisdom nugget’s origin is in this wisdom that you are not that, you are the witness. Whether it is high or low times/situations, it too shall pass, all you’ve got to do is be the observer.
4. You’ll realize how beautiful life is. Gratitude will be a natural offspring of this realization.
5. Provides the opportunity to be curious. It becomes natural to be curious as to how life unfolds.
6. Insights/reflections start pouring into you only when in this mode. Not just because you are curious but because you have a broader view now. All realizations ever realized, were due to the broader perspective isn’t it?
7. Concentration/Focus improves. If we are stuck with our thoughts and emotions, mind in general, we are easily carried away, distracted by them, we tend to go with them and never even know that we got lost in its infinite loop. But when we try to practice being an observer, it’s like viewing your life from the outside, so obviously you’ll know what to focus on, and you’ll be able to easily come back to your point of focus if distracted.
8. Ultimate Life of freedom. By acknowledging to be a witness, one will have a great life because he/she will not at all be worried about the future. Of course, you’ll have the freedom to imagine & plan but you’ll not be bound by them. This sounds too cliché, however, it is true. It is hard to practice, but truly works.

How to practice Witness mode?

You can use these situations as triggers to enter into the witness mode:

1. When you are feeling low or also when your life feels cyclic. Be it through health, social, or any situation.
2. When you are feeling high. Be it through health, wealth, or anything.

When in these situations, remind yourselves that “You are not that” and/or “This too shall pass”. Use those quotes to remind yourself of the entire essence of being an observer. If you’re already too carried away with the thoughts and emotions or if you’re anxious, take a few deep breaths and then try to remind yourselves of the same.

Again, witness mode is just a fancier name. This won’t bring an instant drastic switch in your life. It must be applied consistently, again and again, practiced when needed, especially during high and low times to reap the most out of this wisdom.

Thank You

Sanath Kumar Naibhi