What is the nature of a behavioral program?

A behavioral program can be likened to a specifc vibrational frequency that operates in and through us. It is by nature rather vaporous, like air if you wish, you cannot really grasp it by ordinary means. Just like a computer runs through programs written by lines of code that are not visible on the desktop, so do we function along the lines of invisible codes. If we run into a program that malfunctions or that does not serve us well, the only way to change it is by shifting our attention to the invisible codes of the program that determines our behavior. That requires special training and focus that needs to be learnt.

These invisible behavioral codes that govern our life are created in multiple ways, some of them are genetic, others are by constant watching others' behavior, which then becomes our own by default, others again through quasi hypnotic and repetitive messages told us in our upbringing or by daily media bombardment.The ancient yogis knew about this and they called our behavioral trends SAMSKARAS. They went even further in the description of the samskaric sources by saying that they can be traced back all the way to past incarnations.

Either way, the only way we can begin to shift our behavioral programs is by first becoming CONSCIOUS of them. For example, by asking ourselves, what is my greatest self and purpose defeating characteristic? This is not easy, since we are now diving into modalities that are not necessarily easy to admit. But it is important to look at those modalities as mere programming codes, they are not really who WE ARE, but rather they cover and conceal who we are.

Again, we need to observe our behavior and identify those codes underlying and embedded in our psyche. Gurdjieff worked with this intensely. He stated that as we are, we are utterly asleep robots, functioning along the lines of programs the source of which we are not aware of. His work was greatly focused on the recognition of our limiting behavioral programs and bringing consciousness and consequently, freedom from the underlying codes.

Any genuine spiritual work will bring us this freedom and any genuine work on this level is most challenging.