POLL: Watching thoughts

[JonW]

That is true, but it is worth bearing in mind that mindfulness is as much about body awareness as awareness of thoughts.
Jon

[Deborah1]

Hi, I've just voted on this, no I can't. I imagine the m.ore. successful vote comes from those who are more experienced.

I am trying to alter the imagery to suit my mind. I think it will involve the idea of thoughts slipping out of my, at least for now anyway.

Deb

[DaveSearbyMason]

hello Jonaaaa

Interesting questions. Thoughts coming and going is an activity. Trying to "let them go" is also an activity. In my experience, good mindfulness involves not adding any extra activities to you practice. It's about watching. Watching what is going on and watching it like a hawk. And if you feel the need to do something (like 'letting go'), then watch that like a hawk too. Eventually, the act of constant looking renders your thoughts, feelings and memories transparent.

Similarly, " 'breathing with' and 'breathing into' ", subtle distinctions but both activities. Whichever you do, just watch it like a hawk. These originate from ancient practices to do with focussing internal energies (chi, prana etc) but are irrelevant to the main practice of mindfulness - which is, watching like a hawk. Good luck

[KyCoo]

If only controlling the thoughts were that easy. You get sucked into your thoughts even though you know that it may lead to something negative.

[Urisk]

I read somewhere that this is simple...but not easy...which about sums it up for me. I have flashes of it but I find it hard to sustain...I just keep plugging away at it

[JonW]

'f only controlling the thoughts were that easy.'

Mindfulness is not about controlling thoughts. It's not about controlling anything. It's about being with your experience as it arises, from moment to moment.

[Prometheus Worley]

'f only controlling the thoughts were that easy.'

Mindfulness is not about controlling thoughts. It's not about controlling anything. It's about being with your experience as it arises, from moment to moment.

I have to agree with JonW on this one. It's not about trying to control thoughts, it's about the moment-to-moment experiences that arise during your session/ practice.. For me, it seems that I'm able to enter these thoughtless yet presently aware states for brief moments at a time (5-15 mins), when I meditate and just before falling asleep.

Having learned how to replicate this "thoughtless-yet-present state" at will, through the use of Hemi-Sync Binaural beats and a few Zen oriented techniques, I've literally found the experience to be...only what I can describe as, a somewhat surreal, inside your body yet outside your body experience. When I do it, and it can be within any environment, it's as if time seems to slow down. I am extremely present and attuned to what's happening around me, yet as I am looking around not one single thought, memory, or mental image comes to mind. It's like i'm sitting inside my brain looking at the world through my eyes...it really is a fun connected-yet-disconnected experience.

But like I mentioned before, I have only been able to maintain these states for short time periods (5-15mins). And it has taken me years of learning how to use various Brainwave Entrainment tools and techniques just to get to this point in my mindful meditation journey.

[JonW]

Interesting. But mindfulness is not about achieving/maintaining a particular state either.
Jon

[Orao_22]

I can sometimes, but then I get too focused on watching my own thoughts, which then turns into a dedicated, separate thought that I'm involved in, or I just watch something passing by, think "well, this IS interesting" and start thinking about that but I think that the main issue here is that I tend to be scatterbrained sometimes.

[Spikeycloud]

It is really hard to say. When I watch my thoughts I can often clearly see they were thoughts but only afterwards. Also if I say to myself ah that's a thought that is a thought too right? Does that mean I'm indentfied again or is that conscious thinking that I chose at that moment? This often confuses the hell out of me.