Our mind starts to be programmed from the time we are born.

Our mind receives information from parents, siblings, friends, teachers, ministers, priests, rabbis, books, radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, cults, government, businesses, advertisements, and the Internet. The information we receive from these sources may or may not be true, but we often believe it is true, especially when we hear it from several sources, or from someone we consider to be an authority. Our mind is like a computer - it performs according to the input it has received. Just as we cannot receive, from a computer, information that has not been programmed into it, we do not receive information from our mind that has not been programmed into our mind. We can receive much information through our computer when we are connected to the Internet, but we receive from our computer only the information that is programmed into it.

The problem is that much of what has been programmed into our ego wounded mind, in our lower left brain, is not true - just as information coming from others’ wounded self is likely untrue. Our minds are filled with false beliefs about ourselves, others, life, and God. Just because many of these programs have been handed down through the centuries does not mean they are true, and just because someone who professes to be an authority makes a statement as if it’s true, doesn’t mean it is.

Our mind also draws conclusions based on experience, but even those conclusions are not necessarily accurate.

You might draw conclusions because you believe various media commentators, but this doesn’t mean the conclusions are true.

Our thoughts, which come from our programming and our conclusions, are often way off the mark. Thoughts that are not based on truth always generate uncomfortable feelings in the body, which lets us know we are off base in our thinking. The same is true of information coming from others – from parents, teachers, religious leaders, and TV and social media. If it doesn’t feel right inside, it may not be true.

Inner knowing, on the other hand, is not generated from the programming and conclusions within our mind or others’ minds. Knowing is a direct experience of truth. It comes from spirit into the mind, rather than being generated by the mind. Knowing is a very different experience than thinking or believing. Knowing arises by itself when we are open to learning about love and truth.

Knowing comes of its own accord when our intent is to learn rather than to control.

Knowing feels very different than thinking. Rather than creating discomfort in the body, knowing creates a feeling of peace, of rightness in the body. Even when it involves a truth that is hard to accept, there is still a “gut” sense that “this is painful, but it is real and true,” Knowing bypasses all our programs, beliefs, and conclusions because it comes directly from the spiritual source of truth.

Many of us have been programmed to mistrust our inner knowing, because when we trust our knowing we cannot be controlled by others. When we trust our knowing, we do not need to go to "authorities" to tell us what to do or what is right for us.

Since much of our society is based on the intent to control, the last thing our society has wanted is for us to trust our own inner knowing.

Yet trusting our knowing is a big part of what Inner Bonding is all about. The more we trust spirit and trust our inner knowing, the easier it is to know when others are imposing their thinking on us. Our planet would change dramatically if people would stop listening to their thinking and the thinking of others and instead open to learning with their spiritual guidance, trusting what they receive.

Discerning the difference between information from your thinking ego wounded self, and information from your guidance, is a matter of staying in Step One of Inner Bonding throughout the day. By staying tuned in to your body and your feelings, you will instantly know when you are thinking something, or being told something, that is not accurate or true. Your tension, anxiety, fear, anger, hurt, depression, or loss of energy is letting you know that the information is not accurate. That is the moment when you have the choice to open to learning with spirit about what is true.

Direct knowing is possible for everyone. It all depends upon your intent. If your intent is to protect against pain with some form of controlling behavior, you will stay stuck in your programmed thinking. When you choose the intent to learn about love and truth, you open the door to direct knowing.