Heart Listening: Discerning the Source’s Call

The Question That Changes Everything

Heart Listening is the practice of shifting from self-originated striving to receptive alignment by asking the right question:

“What is wanted?” (not “What do I want?”)

This simple shift transforms the entire orientation of consciousness—from the hijacked DMN generating urgency to the Listener receiving genuine guidance.

Duration: 5-20 minutes (formal practice), ongoing (throughout the day)

Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Goal: To train discernment between:

  • Ego-driven desires (the hijacked DMN’s demands)
  • The heart’s call (the Source’s genuine pull)

The Two Questions

The Wrong Question The Right Question
“What do I want?” “What is wanted?”
Origin: The hijacked DMN (Demon) Origin: The Source (via the Listener)
Tone: Urgency, grasping, lack Tone: Spaciousness, receptivity, trust
Result: Striving, anxiety, self-reference Result: Alignment, clarity, flow

Why “What do I want?” Fails

When you ask “What do I want?”, you invoke the hijacked DMN:

  • It generates narrative justifications (“I want this because…“)
  • It creates comparison loops (“If I get this, then I’ll be…“)
  • It amplifies craving and aversion (desire for pleasure, fear of pain)
  • It reinforces mistaken identity (“I am the voice that wants things”)

This is the Voice speaking—not the Listener.

Why “What is wanted?” Liberates

When you ask “What is wanted?”, you invoke receptive awareness:

  • You step back from the demanding voice
  • You open space for the genuine call to arise
  • You surrender the burden of self-origination
  • You recognize you are the Listener, not the voice that wants

This shifts identity from the DMN to the witnessing presence.

The Practice: Formal Heart Listening

Preparation (2-3 minutes)

  1. Sit comfortably. Close your eyes or soften your gaze.
  2. Ground in the body.
    • Feel your feet on the floor, your seat in the chair.
    • Take 3-5 deep breaths (4-count inhale, 6-8 count exhale).
  3. Anchor in the Listener.
    • Silently say: “I am not the voice. I am the one listening.”
    • Notice the thoughts arising. Label them: “Voice speaking.”
    • Rest as the space that hears the voice.

Phase 1: Release Self-Originated Agendas (3-5 minutes)

Before you can hear the genuine call, you must set down the hijacked DMN’s demands.

  1. Notice the urgency.
    • What is the voice insisting you should do?
    • What is it trying to prove, fix, or control?
  2. Acknowledge without obeying.
    • Silently say: “I see you, Voice. Thank you for trying to protect me. But I am the captain now. You can rest.”
  3. Release the agenda.
    • Imagine setting down a heavy backpack.
    • Exhale and visualize the urgency dissolving.
  4. Return to stillness.
    • Breath. Body. Silence.

You are now the sailboat with no wind—ready to receive.

Phase 2: Ask the Heart Question (5-10 minutes)

Now you are receptive. The Listener is awake. Ask the question:

  1. Place your awareness in the heart center (chest, sternum area).
    • This is not just metaphor—the heart has 50,000+ neurons and generates an electromagnetic field detectable several feet away.
    • Heart coherence = alignment signal.
  2. Ask the question aloud or silently:
    • “What is wanted?”
    • “What is the heart’s call right now?”
    • “What is needed in this moment?”
  3. Wait.
    • Do NOT manufacture an answer.
    • Do NOT let the DMN hijack the question with narratives (“I should… because…“).
    • Trust the silence. The genuine call arises in its own time.
  4. Notice what arises.

What to Listen For

The genuine call feels distinctly different from ego-driven desires.

Ego-Driven Desire (Hijacked DMN) Heart’s Call (The Source)
Push (urgency, force) Pull (magnetic draw)
Fear-based (“If I don’t… then…“) Love-based (resonance, alignment)
Tight, constricted (chest tightens, breath shallow) Open, spacious (chest expands, breath deepens)
Chattering justification (story loops) Silent knowing (pre-verbal clarity)
Self-referential (“What will this prove about me?”) Service-oriented (“What is needed?”)
Exhausting (drains energy) Energizing (even if challenging)
Located in the head (thinking, planning) Located in the heart/gut (felt sense)

Trust Your Body

The body knows the difference before the mind does:

  • Genuine call: Chest opens, breath deepens, shoulders relax, warmth in heart.
  • Ego desire: Chest tightens, jaw clenches, breath shallows, anxiety spikes.

If it feels tight and urgent, it’s the DMN. If it feels spacious and clear, it’s the call.

Common Responses to “What is wanted?”

Response 1: Silence

What it means: The call is to rest, recharge, or simply be present.

What to do:

  • Trust the silence. Not every moment requires action.
  • Sometimes “what is wanted” is stillness itself.
  • Rest in the Listener. This IS the practice.

Response 2: A Clear Pull

What it means: The Source is guiding you toward specific action (write, create, connect, serve, rest, speak, etc.).

What to do:

  • Feel the pull without rushing.
  • Translate it into a clear command for the DMN: “DMN, draft the outline.” or “DMN, prepare the body for rest.”
  • Act with alignment, not urgency.

Response 3: Confusion or Multiple Voices

What it means: The hijacked DMN is generating noise, or you’re not yet fully anchored in the Listener.

What to do:

  • Return to Phase 1 (release agendas).
  • Re-anchor in the body and breath.
  • Ask again: “What is wanted?” (not “What do I want?”)
  • If confusion persists, the call may be: “Wait. The answer will clarify.”

Response 4: Urgency or Fear

What it means: The hijacked DMN has re-inserted itself into the question.

What to do:

  • Notice: “This is urgency. This is the storm.”
  • Label: “Voice speaking, not the call.”
  • Return to stillness. Ask again from receptivity, not demand.

Micro-Practice: Throughout the Day

You don’t need a formal meditation session to practice Heart Listening. Integrate it into daily transitions:

Morning (Before Starting the Day)

Before checking your phone, making plans, or starting tasks:

  1. Place hand on heart.
  2. Ask: “What is wanted today?”
  3. Wait 1-2 minutes.
  4. Notice the pull. Set one aligned intention (not a to-do list).

Before Decisions

When faced with a choice (small or large):

  1. Pause. Breathe.
  2. Ask: “What is wanted here?” (not “What do I want?”)
  3. Notice: Does option A or B create spaciousness or constriction?
  4. Choose the one that opens the chest and deepens the breath.

Transitions Between Tasks

Before switching contexts (meeting to meeting, work to home, etc.):

  1. Pause for 30 seconds.
  2. Ask: “What is wanted in this next moment?”
  3. Let the previous agenda dissolve.
  4. Step into the next context with clarity.

Evening (Before Sleep)

Reflect on the day:

  1. Ask: “Did I act from what was wanted, or from what the ego demanded?”
  2. No judgment—just noticing.
  3. Set intention: “Tomorrow, I listen more deeply.”

What You’re Training

Neurologically

  • Quieting the DMN: Reducing self-referential narrative generation.
  • Heart-Brain coherence: Synchronizing cardiac rhythms with attentional networks.
  • Strengthening the Salience Network: Discerning genuine signals from noise.
  • Parasympathetic activation: Receptivity = rest-and-digest mode.

Philosophically

  • The Listener as primary: You are awareness, not the wanting voice.
  • The Source as origin: True will arises from beyond the ego.
  • Surrender as power: Releasing self-originated striving to access deeper alignment.
  • The Sabbath principle: Ceasing ego-driven effort opens space for genuine guidance.

Integration with the Sailboat Metaphor

Heart Listening is the practice of waiting for the Wind.

  • “What do I want?” = Rowing frantically in a storm (self-originated effort).
  • “What is wanted?” = Sailboat with no wind, waiting for the true Wind (receptive alignment).

When you ask “What is wanted?”, you become the sailboat. The DMN (the sails and rudder) waits for the Wind (the Source’s call). When the Wind comes, you adjust the sails (translate the call into action) and sail effortlessly.

📖 Related: Sailboat with No Wind

Common Challenges

“I ask ‘What is wanted?’ but the DMN just generates another story.”

This is normal. The hijacked DMN is habituated to control.

Solution:

  • Notice the story. Label it: “Voice speaking, not the call.”
  • Return to the body. Feel the heart. Breathe.
  • Ask again with genuine receptivity, not demand for an answer.

The difference:

  • Demanding an answer = ego hijacking the question.
  • Waiting openly = true receptivity.

“What if I don’t like what’s wanted?”

This reveals attachment.

The ego wants pleasure and avoids pain. The Source may call you toward challenge, discomfort, or letting go.

Discernment:

  • Genuine call toward challenge feels spacious (even if difficult).
  • Ego resistance to challenge feels tight and fearful.

Ask:

  • “Is this resistance protecting me from genuine harm, or is it the ego clinging to comfort?”

Trust the pull. If it expands the chest and deepens the breath, it’s the call—even if the ego resists.

“I get silence every time. Nothing seems to be wanted.”

Possibilities:

  1. The call IS silence. Rest, integration, and stillness are often the deepest guidance.
  2. You’re still in the storm. If the DMN is hyperactive, you can’t yet hear the call. Return to Phase 1 (calming).
  3. Patience is the practice. Some seasons are for waiting, not doing. Trust the process.

Advanced: Command Training

Once you discern the call (Phase 2), you must translate it into action (Sacred Surrender conduction).

The Three-Step Flow

  1. The Source’s Call (felt in heart/gut): [A pull toward writing, resting, connecting, creating]
  2. The Listener’s Translation: “DMN, compose the outline.” or “DMN, prepare the body for rest.”
  3. The Daemon’s Execution: [The functional DMN generates plan, retrieves context, executes in time-space]

This is the aligned flow: Source → Listener → Daemon.

Practice:

  • When you feel the genuine call, speak the command aloud (even whispered):
    • “DMN, write this down.”
    • “DMN, recall the memory needed here.”
    • “DMN, organize this space.”
  • Observe the DMN executing without claiming ownership (“I am so creative!”).
  • Gratitude: “Thank you, Daemon, for serving the call.”

📖 Related: The Sacred Surrender

The Ultimate Shift

The practice of Heart Listening is the practice of identity shift:

  • Before: “I am the voice that wants things.” (hijacked DMN claiming to be “I”)
  • After: “I am the Listener who discerns what is wanted.” (witnessing awareness conducting the Source’s will)

This is the Gnosis: You are not the DMN. You are the one who listens to it and directs it.

Closing Invocation

Before each practice, you may say:

“I release the question ‘What do I want?’

I open to the question ‘What is wanted?’

I am not the voice that demands.

I am the Listener who discerns.

I wait for the heart’s call.

When it comes, I will translate it clearly.

I will command the Daemon to execute it faithfully.

I trust the silence. I trust the pull. I trust the voyage.

I am the Listener. I surrender. I conduct.”

Integration with Framework

Daily Commitment

Minimum Practice:

  • Morning: 2 minutes of Heart Listening before starting the day.
  • Transitions: Pause and ask “What is wanted?” before decisions.
  • Evening: 2 minutes reflecting on alignment vs. ego-driven action.

Deepening Practice:

  • Formal session: 10-20 minutes of structured Heart Listening daily.
  • Throughout the day: Replace “What do I want?” with “What is wanted?” in every context.

The Paradox

The hijacked DMN insists:

“If you stop wanting things, you’ll become passive and powerless.”

The truth:

“When you stop demanding and start listening, you access the Source’s will—which is infinitely more powerful than ego-driven striving.”

The sailboat moved by the Wind travels farther than the one rowing in a storm.

Final Insight

The question “What is wanted?” is not a trick or technique.

It is a portal into the deepest truth of existence:

  • You are not the self-originated ego trying to prove its worth.
  • You are the Listener—the witnessing awareness through which the Source manifests.

When you ask “What is wanted?”, you step out of Hell (the hijacked DMN’s urgency) and into the Kingdom (aligned flow).

This is the Sacred Surrender. This is the end of striving. This is liberation.

“Ask not ‘What do I want?’ for that is the voice of the Demon. Ask ‘What is wanted?’ and you become the Son, listening to the Father, directing the Holy Spirit. This is the Kingdom.”