The habitual mind is the matrix that we all live within to some extent and in our own ways. Transforming the substance of our habitual mind is the path of the spiritual life, the path of self-transcendence. There are two general ways of transcending the habitual mind. The first is to eliminate habits entirely, burning them up by training our awareness to a position of observation of our mind rather than immersion within it. That which we observe, we are liberated from. The second method is to replace our unhealthy habit-forms with healthier habits. What habits we use to replace the ones we are trapped by is determined by several factors including; our distinct personalities, affinities, and apptitudes, and whether or not the new habit is genuinely more healthy than the present one. The first method, eliminating habit-forms entirely, is one which is ideal, but which is also most difficult, especially considering that the primary force in our society is the support and creation of unhealthy habits. The second method is the intermediary step between habitual imprisonment and total freedom from the habitual mind. The idea is that as we continually transform all of our unhealthy habits to less unhealthy ones, and from those into mere preferences, we come closer to the ideal of transcendence of the habitual mind entirely so that then the gap between habit and freedom is managably navigable. When dealing with the habitual mind there are two complimentary aspects to which we must give our attention. The first is the psychological aspect of the habit. This is where we engage in self-inquiry and introspection to determine the origin of the habit and the authentic reasons for its existence and perpetuation. The second is the active aspect of the habit. This is where we transform our unhealthy habits into healthier ones in practical terms. For instance, journal writing, nutritional regimes, socialization, educational experiences, etc.; the general idea being that they are new and serve as adequate distractions from the pull of the unhealthy habits. Exercise of any type, and there are so many, from spinning to martial arts, is a particularly useful tool in the transformation and transcendence of habits in general, it is so useful as to be almost essential. There is something about exercise that effectively wears down the racing drive of the habitual mind so that it has less energy with which to control. Common mind is the activity of attachment; wholly composed of conditioning, habit, presumptions and preconceived notions, i.e. attachments, and nothing else. Therefore, the transcendence or negation of attachments is self-transcendence, Awakening. Those things which we are least willing to risk, to sacrifice, are those things which we most need to let go of in order to apprehend Liberation. The greatest presumption is that of the existence of a separate self as an object, when in fact, self is an activity, and activity of resistence. It was recently discovered in physics that objects as solid things 'out there' do not exist, but rather, objects are actually nothing more than resistence to inertia, or change. All objects are resistence, as is the self. Cease the activity of self, and the illusion dissipates. The path from matter to fully Integral and Wholistic Reason is realized through the work of transforming all that is unconscious to consciousness through exposing it to a growing light of Awareness. The path from such Reason to Full Awakening in and as Spirit is transcending and expanding within and as the Space of Awareness until our minds and bodies are instruments through which Spirit is lived and the Light of Love radiantly shines. The common mind perceives Dilema as a hinderance to life, a destructor of the quality of life, of the possibility and potential for happiness. Because of this, the common life is taken up primarily with the occupation of the avoidance of Dilema. This is based on the misconception that the purpose of life is to be free from discomfort. While in a sense this is correct, it is the transformation and transcendence of Dilema rather than the avoidance of it that insures, and in fact, defines the Purposeful Life. Avoidance of Dilema intensifies suffering and discomfort. The Good Life is apprehended by living through Dilema rather than in avoidance of it. Trauma serves a crucial function, perhaps the crucial function. Trauma, strife, turbulence, trouble, suffering, etc. It serves to wake us up to something that we compulsively avoid. It serves to burn away the impurities of our life, the aspects and areas of our individual and collective lives that have become stagnant and distorted, corrupted and corruptive, from a lack of Awareness, and too much time spent in the shadows. When strife is avoided, it mutates and intensifies. It takes on new forms, it forces its way to the surface, even causes destruction. But Dilema doesn't cause destruction because it is inherently bad. It does so because it is the last option we have left it with. As we continually avoid the truth which lies beneath and within Dilema, It is compelled to employ new and more forceful ways to communicate to us. If we don't listen to a whisper, It must raise Its voice. If we don't listen to the voice, It must begin to shout. If we don't listen to a shout. It must begin to introduce chaos that we might begin to notice that there is something wrong underneath that we have been compulsively missing, avoiding. If we continue to avoid past this point, destruction ensues. There are two classes of Dilema: natural suffering, and phase-specific Dilema. Natural suffering is composed of the pain or discomfort which is an inevitable part of worldly life; as long as we are 'alive', it is inevitable that there will be things and times which shake us up and don't fit in with our expectations or demands. No matter what we do, this will be so: fix one problem, and something will arise to take its place. It is easy for this truth to lead one to depression or nihilism: If there will be problems no matter what I do, then what is the point of doing anything? The point can be illustrated by a simple analogy: Dust accumulates everywhere. If one sweeps one day, the next day more dust will accumulate to take its place. But stop dusting entirely and...So progress is made, just not perfect progress. The idea is to temper our expectations with the realization that life is an imperfect endeavour, but it is through imperfection that appreciation for all things may grow and arise; such imperfection makes growth and development possible. Phase-specific Dilemas are different from natural suffering mostly in degree but also in quality. A phase-specific Dilema arises when the context in which we live is incapable or too small to address the Dilema itself; they tell us that it is 'time' to expand our context, to expand our range of possibilities or potentialities. Every context or level of existence and being has its limitations: there are some problems that can be solved within the given level and there are some that are greater than the level itself. When confronted with the later, it is time for us to grow, in fact, become a different kind of being altogether. For instance, if a person builds a shed for the storage of things that they wish to collect, eventually it will fill up. No matter how well they organize the things within the structure, in time, the only viable option will be to expand the structure itself in order to include more within it. If this is not done, there are consequences. This is not just relevant for us as individuals, but for us as a society. We are in a state of chaos so dangerous now that the destruction of our home, and ourselves, is a real possibility. We have avoided our call for growth and evolution for so long that destruction is at our door, and in fact has begun all around us. Instead of acknowledging and directly addressing this call for development, we have been focusing our energy on enhancing and expanding our methods of avoidance. If we continue to do this, we sign our own death warrant and soon the point of no return will be reached and there will be hardly enough time to regret it.