When I first listened to this song I thought Lauryn Hill was singing about a new love interest. But then, I have studied the work of Eckhart Tolle, which led me to agree with Kweenelle's interpretation of the "I have no identity" line to mean fall of the ego. I think this song is Lauryn Hill’s story about how she finally was able to let go of the ego and find her “peace of mind”.
According to Tolle, the ego is identification with the false, mental image of who you are, based on your personal and cultural conditioning. It consists of mind activity and can only be kept going through continuous thinking.
He says there's no me without him,
She’s referring to the fact that the ego tries to trick her into identifying with it
He takes all my energy
Trapped in my memory
Constantly holding me
Constantly holding me
One way the ego strengthens itself is by tricking the mind to replay situations that have happened in the past, over and over again. It usually replays painful past situations because these memories are coupled with strong emotions, and it is easy to lose yourself in these emotions, which ensures the ego’s existence.This is what I think Lauryn means when she says “Trapped in my memory Constantly holding me, Constantly holding me. The ego “constantly holds” her in the past because without doing it, the ego dies, and the ego, much like every living thing, badly wants to keep living.
To finally be in love, and know the real meaning of
A lasting relationship, not based on ownership
When your life is run by the ego, you may find yourself in a relationship with someone in order to enhance your sense of self through them. Finding your sense of self through something is in a way identifying with it as part of you. You then fear the prospect of them leaving you because if that happens your sense of self will be diminished. This is not true love. Now that Lauryn Hill’s life is no longer run by the ego, she knows what true love is.
All that I've known is gone, all I was building on
The ego is something that you build on all of your life. All of your achievements, mistakes, material possessions, past situations, even your personality are all things you identify with yourself to give you a sense of self. Since Lauryn has learned not to identify herself with these things, all that she’s ever known is now gone.
I know now I have to face, the temptations of my past
Please don't let me disgrace, where my devotion lays
Now that I know the truth, now that it's no excuse
Letting go of the ego is no easy task, especially if it’s been running your life for most of her life. Her mind will attempt to go back to the same patterns of reliving the past and identifying with form. These are the “temptations of my past”. Now she has to be vigilant so she can ensure that doesn’t lose herself in her ego, especially now since she “knows the truth” and has “no excuse”
Keeping me from your love, what was I thinking of?
Holding me from your love, what was I thinking of?
We all find God’s love by being in the moment and feeling the peace inside of us which dwells behind the compulsive activity of the mind. Being caught up in the ego keeps us from the feeling of stillness and Lauryn realizes this.
You are my peace of mind, that old me is left behind
Lauryn Hill is declaring here that her peace of mind is God-the peace, the stillness that dwells behind and in between the gaps of compulsive thoughts. She goes on to say that she has left the old her, the one which identified with form and her mind, behind.
“When these gaps occur, you feel a certain stillness and peace inside you. This is the beginning of your natural state of felt oneness with Being, ( God), which is usually obscured by the mind.” -Tolle
Lauryn Hill implores the listener to explore dis-identifying themselves with their ego toward the end of the song when she repeats the words “free your mind” over and over again. When she say’s “He” and “You’re my peace of mind” she is referring to God. This is supported towards the end when she repeats “”what a merciful, merciful God..what a wonderful, wonderful God”
When I first listened to this song I thought Lauryn Hill was singing about a new love interest. But then, I have studied the work of Eckhart Tolle, which led me to agree with Kweenelle's interpretation of the "I have no identity" line to mean fall of the ego. I think this song is Lauryn Hill’s story about how she finally was able to let go of the ego and find her “peace of mind”.
According to Tolle, the ego is identification with the false, mental image of who you are, based on your personal and cultural conditioning. It consists of mind activity and can only be kept going through continuous thinking.
He says there's no me without him, She’s referring to the fact that the ego tries to trick her into identifying with it
He takes all my energy Trapped in my memory Constantly holding me Constantly holding me
One way the ego strengthens itself is by tricking the mind to replay situations that have happened in the past, over and over again. It usually replays painful past situations because these memories are coupled with strong emotions, and it is easy to lose yourself in these emotions, which ensures the ego’s existence.This is what I think Lauryn means when she says “Trapped in my memory Constantly holding me, Constantly holding me. The ego “constantly holds” her in the past because without doing it, the ego dies, and the ego, much like every living thing, badly wants to keep living.
To finally be in love, and know the real meaning of A lasting relationship, not based on ownership
When your life is run by the ego, you may find yourself in a relationship with someone in order to enhance your sense of self through them. Finding your sense of self through something is in a way identifying with it as part of you. You then fear the prospect of them leaving you because if that happens your sense of self will be diminished. This is not true love. Now that Lauryn Hill’s life is no longer run by the ego, she knows what true love is.
All that I've known is gone, all I was building on
The ego is something that you build on all of your life. All of your achievements, mistakes, material possessions, past situations, even your personality are all things you identify with yourself to give you a sense of self. Since Lauryn has learned not to identify herself with these things, all that she’s ever known is now gone.
I know now I have to face, the temptations of my past Please don't let me disgrace, where my devotion lays Now that I know the truth, now that it's no excuse
Letting go of the ego is no easy task, especially if it’s been running your life for most of her life. Her mind will attempt to go back to the same patterns of reliving the past and identifying with form. These are the “temptations of my past”. Now she has to be vigilant so she can ensure that doesn’t lose herself in her ego, especially now since she “knows the truth” and has “no excuse”
Keeping me from your love, what was I thinking of? Holding me from your love, what was I thinking of?
We all find God’s love by being in the moment and feeling the peace inside of us which dwells behind the compulsive activity of the mind. Being caught up in the ego keeps us from the feeling of stillness and Lauryn realizes this.
You are my peace of mind, that old me is left behind
Lauryn Hill is declaring here that her peace of mind is God-the peace, the stillness that dwells behind and in between the gaps of compulsive thoughts. She goes on to say that she has left the old her, the one which identified with form and her mind, behind.
“When these gaps occur, you feel a certain stillness and peace inside you. This is the beginning of your natural state of felt oneness with Being, ( God), which is usually obscured by the mind.” -Tolle
Lauryn Hill implores the listener to explore dis-identifying themselves with their ego toward the end of the song when she repeats the words “free your mind” over and over again. When she say’s “He” and “You’re my peace of mind” she is referring to God. This is supported towards the end when she repeats “”what a merciful, merciful God..what a wonderful, wonderful God”
And that’s my interpretation.