What can conquer the darkness?

Question

With darkness I mean here all the weak, wrong and violent impulses of the mind or soul of another person or in ourselves.
My son asked me that question as he sometimes gets this thoughts in his head to do something bad, although he in his heart does not want to do it. (He is just 8)
A few days ago a young woman told me about the same problem, that she feels that dark (bad) impulses or ideas in her head get a hold of her and she finds it hard to conquer them. ( it shows itself in her case in an eating disorder. It is not me)
I personally find this also with myself in terms of if some other person around me is in a very bad mood, this can get a hold over me, although I do not want it.

What conquers darkness and if you say something like "love" could you just explain it a bit more in detail?

Thanks

Answer 1

The only solution to darkness is light, and loving what is hurting in us, or in another, heals every hurt, as only what is hurting in us cause us to hurt another, as we can only do t others what we are feeling or doing to ourselves.

Judging or denying only causes temporary suppression, and not a permanent solution, and then we are preparing ourselves for explosion or backfiring of our darkness, as that which we do not bring forth destroys and that which we do saves us, so bringing our darkness into light, airing our secret thoughts and desires gives them and us an opportunity to heal.

Otherwise we only end up fighting its reflections all around, as all live is only an experience of who we truly are, as what we recognize in others is what we carry within. This recognition leads to freedom, and once we accept our darkness unconditionally, we learn to do the same in others as well, and what we embrace we heal, with light of our love.

When we begin to love all that we are completely, that is when all our darkness transmutes into love. Darkness is to be transcended thus, and not conquered or fought against, as we end up fighting with who we truly are, a mixture of darkness and lightness.

Even if you cannot accept your own darkness or that of someone else, simply asking for divine assistance makes our intentions come true, as we are only as strong as our prayers. The divine light then, helps us see the darkness in its true light, and reveal its hidden gift of wisdom, and thus transcension becomes easy, when we begin to see every weakness, as an opportunity to create a new strength in ourselves.

We are only here to recognize our darkness and our light, and we do it, by introspecting over our actions, reactions and our relationships with fellow beings, as our relationships reflect the best.

Every bad habit or behaviour pattern is just an outward expression of our inner darkness, or the part of us that feels so unloved, that it has to act out its pain, darkness to get our attention. So, instead of judging, hurting, shaming, denying or abusing it, we need to embrace it as we'd embrace our child, who picks up a bad habit from somewhere. The more we focus on it, the more it will grow, and the more we offer positive reinforcement, the more easily old paths in our mind will grow over, with fresh grass of our love.

So when a child acts out, we need not judge him, or punish, or banish him away from our love, but love him more, embrace him for who he is, and who you know he can be, as what you focus on grows. Same is the case with our inner child, who acts out when it gets scared of the darkness within, so only thing we need to do, is what every mother knows, and does with her hurting child. Soothe it, with our gentle and kind words, like, "Its Ok..."

Focussing on our Light and embracing our darkness is what makes us whole again; as we are a composite of both, just as the divine is. Accepting our humanity helps us transcend it, and allow our divinity to descend into our physical being.

As darkness is but a splinter of our personality that is acting out, it feels it wants power, but what it really wants is love. That is also the solution to every addiction, or obsessive, compulsive behaviour - Love.

Answer 2

Obviously, whether it's metaphorical or not, you turn on a light. My favorite dealings with darkness are by picking up a blue plastic gun at the arcade and playing area 51. I shoot zombies.

Unfortunately, I can't always do that, so I read a book called Meditations for a peaceful heart and a peaceful world and take two or three klonpin. Or if things really get bad, I drive off for about 2 hours to the hill country and walk until I see something beautiful and go nuts with my Digital SLR.

If all else fails, I drink 2 or 3 shots of Jaegermeister, but that is really last case scenerio. That stuff tastes awful, but it makes you feel so good inside.

by the way, that's a bright 8 year old you have there. My 15 year old used to tell me things like that just not to long ago.

Answer 3

I'm with my friend Joshi here, light is the only thing that can help you there. I wish I could tell you more, but this you gotta do yourself; search for the light...

I tell you something else though, it's a great thing to see this darkness, it's called 'the recognition of evil', this is a BIG help and a great start...the unexamined life is not worth living...Socrates.

Most people freak out when they see it, but that's just the beginning, one must conquer that fear of darkness to be able to move on to the next level, otherwise you will be stuck. We all get this since we're little kids, fear of darkness, weird huh!0!

Close your eyes and see the darkness within you...he who sees with his eyes is blind...Plato.

GOOD LUCK!

Answer 4

Try meditation or aligning your chakhras--both work wonderfully and will help you calm and ease your mind, conquer the darkness and move toward the light of understanding. These activities can be found in an online search. Good luck and remember that you are not alone.

I also try to remember and believe passages of the Desiderata:

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.


Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.


Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.


Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.


You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.


Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.


With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.


Max Ehrmann, Desiderata

Answer 5

Head for the hills the dam has burst. You certainly let a flood of opinions to engulf your question. They all have a kernel of truth of course but after skimming the camouflage cover from the underlying thought you presented, the answer perhaps is inside of the self center we all carry. We are made up of good and evil (darkness) and have to find our way through the dimness we have created.
I believe that white light of truth, knowledge and introspection will conquer the dark side of each of us. Light if used as the pathfinder will let human decency awake and march forward.
Spartawo...

Answer 6

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood/overcome it - John 1:4-5 (rough paraphrase)

Answer 7

Until we realize for ourselves as to why the dark thoughts, impulses and actions are harmful to us, no amount of repetitive tutoring or fear of punishment can help us get rid of them. The realization comes from knowledge, experience and an attitude to learn and analyze them to derive the gist and then internalize it. Whether God told us to shun evil or religion mandates us is not what matters.... it is our own self realization of the ultimate and inevitable ill-effects of thinking, intending or doing evil which can enable us conquer the darkness for sure and ever.

Answer 8

The improperly put question fails to illuminate the will ("conquers"). It's a poetic\rhetorical conception and assumes too much about darkness. It IS a dark question.

Recently someone used the "remote control" technique in a vain attempt to intimidate me. Technology, you see, augments the will and gives us a false sense of "power". As human beings, as a whole, we are not making any "progress". The claim of progress is also poetic\rhetorical. Please study Aristotle for a minimum of five years.

Answer 9

Jung says we must embrace the shadow. Use self love, empathy, and understanding to truly get to know the darker sides. Everyone has them, but we have been lead to believe that they are to be conquered or avoided. This only leads to their expression in ways that you do not control. One must know these things so they are equipped to handle them.

Know Fear.

Answer 10

In my case, self derision conquers the impulse. I see the impulses as a weakness now, and that weakness disgusts me enough to squash them. It's probably not the advice a psychologist would give, but it's working for me. Whenever I feel like giving in, I remind myself not to be a pvssy.

Answer 11

Don't call me a "fundie," but only Jesus can. There have been times when I've felt demonic and dark presences so palpably, and literally the ONLY thing that casts them away completely, and fills me with peace, is the name of Jesus. Since only He has been given authority by God to "trample on snakes and scorpions," when the #&&* hits the fan, only Jesus can actually turn darkness to light. I say this because He's done it for me.