According to Tolle, unaddressed pain accumulates and attains the status of a separate entity which, though dormant much of the time, can be roused by whatever triggers will push your buttons. When it wakens, it wants to feed — on anger, violence, drama and tears. It will try to consume you and stir up conflict around you, or dredge up some old hurt to obsess on, and inflate itself on the resulting negative energy. It is stealthy, sneaky, and mean, but it cannot tolerate scrutiny, and it whithers away in the light.

Know what it looks like; be aware of signs that it is waking. Look right in its face and declaim "I know what you are, and I will not let you hurt me and the people I love. It hates love and sunshine and other positive things. When you understand its power, you can be prepared to face it down. As soon as you recognize it, it runs away again to hide.

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