One of the most common questions/concerns I receive is around the topic of apathy and losing desires.
There’s no doubt that not being interested in things or wanting experiences is initially strange–particularly in a culture that constantly shouts at us to want things.
However, apathy and desire loss is a complicated issue.
There are lots of reasons for desire loss that require completely different responses.
And you should never immediately assign a sense of desire loss or apathy to a spiritual shift. On this path we develop an inquiring mind to find out the truth.
There is a lot to talk about here, so if you aren’t on my newsletter already and want to know when I’m holding this class, please sign up below:
Sign up for Jim’s Free Newsletter
Apathy and Losing Desires Class Full Description
There are many reasons that people lose desire. They can include:
- Losing interests because the things/experiences never really served you
- Changing interests because something else matters more to you now, and some of the things you were interested in, you no longer are interested by.
- Spontaneously losing attachments after realizing some level of spiritual truth
- Improper self-care
- Mental health issues and major unresolved issues, possibly trauma.
- General exhaustion and other reasons
I would also add that apathy and losing desires are very different than neutrality. Neutrality is neutrality. You’re not upset or even indifferent. Life just Is for you.
Neutrality is a healthy way to see life, and it never inhibits our abilities to engage with an interest. But when we engage with interests, we are unattached to the outcome. We do it. Then we are done with it.
Most people will find that they have a great many more desires than they realize such as the desire to not feel apathy. Furthermore, desire-loss often opens the doorways to many more desires than a person once realized that they had. Deeper desires get exposed through spiritual transformation, and they may include:
The desire for safety
The desire for certain physical feelings
The desire for meaning
The desire for familiarity
There are lots of desires people have that inform the more surface-level desires that get acted upon. For example, many people think they desire alcohol, but that may only be an expression of a deeper desire for human connection. When the desire for alcohol goes away, a person may temporarily go through a time of having no desires. But the longer they are there, the more the deeper desire for human connection reveals itself. Now we can go deeper in the work.
And there’s also the general desire to have desires!
People get so used to desiring that it is very strange to not have any, if only temporarily.
As I said, there’s a lot to unpack here. I hope to help you figure out what the source of your desire-loss is and to take the appropriate actions.
Here are some more resources to help you:
Post-Awakening Challenges: The Lost Gray World of Apathy
Losing More Desires and Interests After Awakening
Why You Want to Come
All my classes are about inspiring you further towards realizing spiritual freedom. In addition, you want to come to this class to learn:
- how to surrender to apathy and desire-loss,
- how to inquire into the source of this loss of interest,
- how to appropriately address desire-loss,
- how to give up the need to desire things/experiences/meaning,
- how to build a spiritual practice that doesn’t simply create more desires, and more.
I’m happy to answer your questions as well.
Specifics of the Online Class
Here are some of the specifics of how the class would work.
- Meet on a Monday at 10:30 AM Pacific Time or 5:30 PM Pacific Time (sometimes Tuesday evenings as well)
- Have a class of around 10 people
- Meet online via Google Hangouts (this online video chat service is free)
- Meet for 1 hour and 1/2
- Most of the class will be a lecture style
- There will be around 1/2 hr for people’s questions
The suggested donation is 50 USD for those who can afford it. For everyone else, it is whatever fits your budget. Please don’t donate until after we spoken together and you’ve gone through the enrollment process. Signing up for my newsletter is NOT the enrollment process. That comes later.
If you have questions about this class, I’m happy to answer them.
Once again, if you’re interested and aren’t on my free newsletter, you can sign up below. I’ll send out a specific newsletter when I’m ready to enroll people in the class.
In love and kindness,
Jim Tolles
