I Can Make My Mind Be Quiet For A Little While

Category Ego, Enlightenment

In a recent comment here on this site, Anthony brought up an excellent point. It is so important that it’s worth dedicating a post to. Let’s see what Anthony has to say:

I wonder about the mind. It causes a lot of problems. I wish they’d teach us this stuff in school – how to handle the mind, life, and relationships.

Ariel – do you think it advantageous to completely step away from the mind? Is just being a witness enough to reprogram it? Because, some days i’ll have so many negative repetitive thoughts going over and over, i have to step in and say ENOUGH. Funny thing is, when i tell my brain what to do, it usually complies.

It is helpful, Anthony, if you truly want to awaken, to let go of any identification with the mind.

photo by SantiMB

You have probably discovered that trying to replace negative mental noise with positive mental noise is still just noise. Instead of enjoying life as it is in this moment, a delicious meal, a deep massage, or whatever else, the mind is thinking about how great it is, how wonderful life is, how appreciative it is, all the wonderful things it’s going to manifest, and so on. Just be quiet and enjoy the moment!

As you said, it is possible to tell the mind to be quiet for a moment and experience that. The thing is, however, and this is very subtle: you are not the one telling your brain what to do! You are not in control of the brain. It is thought directing thought, but thought is not you!

There’s this trick where the mind can tell itself to be quiet for a moment, and it will. Then it gives “you” credit for this action. By giving you credit, it gives you the impression that you are in control of the mind and if you engage in this game more and more, you can (theoretically, with enough practice) get to the point where you can overcome the mind. You can dominate and win, given enough practice.

However, any time you try to go to battle with the mind, you lose. It’s a game you can not win.

Why? Because there is no “you” to win the game! The “you” who thinks it’s in control of the mind is still only a thought in the first place!

There’s a “you” who doesn’t exist competing against a mind who also is not you. There is no “you” involved in the game at all!

So if you’re not even playing the game, how on earth do you ever expect to win?

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7 Responses to “I Can Make My Mind Be Quiet For A Little While”

Anthony said:

Wow, thanks for featuring me in an article.

I like your post, but lets clear some things up. Clarity is essential in these matters.

For me, saying to myself ‘Enough’ is a pattern interrupt. I’d much rather tell myself this and find some peace (or get to sleep) then lie there and listen to my mind tick over.

Here’s whats going on… and it’s as you mention… the mind feeds off the mind, and it goes around and around in circles. My voice, an intention, something different to my ‘thinking’ mind, comes in and lays down the law. It usually works for me.

Which comes to my next point. Different methods work for different people. There is no universal ‘constant’ technique which works for everyone. I know dozens of people who meditate and do all kinda spiritual stuff… but does it help them? Yes & No.

I find one of the biggest problems occurs when people follow OTHERS methods and techniques, which do NOT work for them because they are… different people.

The truth, ultimately, is that we are all ONE. Yes, indeed. However, as humans, we are all different. You may find peace and serenity in detaching from the mind. Thats where you’re at.

It’s a method i use also, however i sometimes have to step in and scramble up the mind a bit so i can allow it some stillness. That stillness feeds upon itself and i get more stillness…

Do you see what i’m saying?

As i was lying in bed this morning… i had detached from the mind.. just listening to it.. and i noticed a very important and curious thing.

A thought would arise… about every 2-3 seconds. I’d see it, spark into existance.. and fade away. It was like clockwork. This went on for about five minutes, and it began to slow down as i witnessed it.

I Found this to be a result of my work on the computer the night before, and as i had no relaxed the mind, it was still ticking over, considering different options.

So i stepped in and said… mind, relax…. and part of my mind did relax and i fell back asleep.

I believe, from my perspective, that meditation does allow peace and quiet. i am not disagreeing with you. However, i do also feel that positive intention can also be used to quieten the mind. Not as a long-term consistent action… i have tried that and it’s silly…

The mind can be trained… ask any psychologist / psychiatrist / or other Cognitive Specialist, and they will agree – it’s their life work. But only trained so it becomes our servant, not a master that consumes us with dis serving thoughts.

It’s like bringing up a child. You support it with love and food and shelter… and let it play. Now and then, it’ll endanger itself, and you need to step in. Sometimes it’ll play up, and you’re best ignoring it. Other times, again, you need to step in and say ‘Enough’…

Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to present this perspective.

Cheers,

Anthony.

Anthonys last blog post..Song – “Sapphire”

Ariel Bravy Reply:
October 4th, 2008 at 1:06 am
You’re right Anthony. Thank you for sharing your perspective with us!

There’s certainly a difference, as you pointed out, between incessant unconscious thinkingness and deliberate intention. It’s important to note the difference.

Intention is at a “higher level,” so to speak, than unconscious thinking, but neither of them are you, despite the fact that they both have the power to directly influence the direction of your experiential life.

The mind is definitely a useful tool and I don’t want to diminish its effectiveness in any way. After all, some of my favorite tools in my “spiritual toolbox” involve using the mind itself to dissolve identification with the mind. The Sedona Method and self-inquiry by asking “What am I?” are two perfect examples. Visualization and prayer to God are two more examples. The mind is a wonderful tool.

Positive thinking and training the mind are definitely very useful and effective techniques which is why they’re so prominent to this day. If they weren’t, they would have dried up ages ago.

If you feel that a certain tool is appropriate for you at this time, by all means use it. Not every tool is appropriate for every person, just like you said.

Something to keep in mind though, is that the tools are not you. That’s the rub. Positive thinking, the intention to quiet the mind, the voice in your head… all these mental thoughts are just that: thoughts.

Thought is not you.

Thought can not overcome thought. Illusion can’t transcend illusion. Training the mind to deliberately have another dream is not the same thing as awakening from the dream state altogether. That’s the key point.
Andrea Hess|Empowered Soul said:

Oh, I’ve really enjoyed reading this article and the following comments.

I think mastering the mind is actually an important step towards seeing it as the tool that it is – and disidentification follows as a natural consequence.

Once we can consciously direct thought, we grasp the concept of the mind as a tool. Once we see the mind as only a tool – a creative tool, since we create our reality through intent and thought – doesn’t the awareness that we are not thought automatically follow?

Great article!
Blessings,
Andrea

Ariel Bravy Reply:
October 4th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Hey Andrea,

Historically speaking, there have been a lot of people who have woken up out of the dream state without first learning to master the mind, apply the law of attraction, and so on. So while learning to master the mind as a create tool in such a way may have its benefits, it doesn’t seem like it’s absolutely necessary for awakening.

Also, it would seem that learning to master the mind doesn’t necessarily teach the person that they’re not the mind, although it may contribute towards it. For example, the LoA teaches people to really believe and buy into a thought because that will become your experiential reality whereas waking up involves looking beyond thought altogether, completely. By learning to manifest “you” are learning to guide yourself (via the mind) to create a certain experience and there’s the underlying assumption that there’s a “you” to experience that reality in the first place, even if theoretically we are all one.

Great question.
Anthony said:

Thanks for your reply Ariel.

Taking your perspective to the ultimate conclusion .. where does that leave anything?

What does it do with your beliefs?

What does it do with my beliefs?

Everything is rendered… into nothing.

How does this help people in everyday life?

Because we’re here living life, dealing with it’s challenges and so on…

So how how does knowing thoughts arn’t real help anyone? it seems a circular dynamic – because the thought ‘thoughts arn’t real’ is a thought, so it renders itself non – existant…!

A.

Anthonys last blog post..Song – “Sapphire”
Ariel Bravy said:

Great question, Anthony.

All suffering is simply a resistance to what is, a belief that life shouldn’t be the way it is and should be another way, a better way.

In the Buddhist tradition, the Buddha explains how the whole world is a world of illusion (maya), and our experience in this world is dukkah (suffering). Human life itself (maya) is suffering.

Wars, jealousy, anger, death, separation, limitation, sadness, frustration, violence, fear… all forms of suffering.

All suffering is due to ignorance, due to false beliefs that originate from the human ego.

How does letting go of the reality of the world of belief help people? It lets go of the idea of a false self, leading to a a dissolution of the false self, leaving only what’s Real behind. What’s left is a sense of inner peace, pure beingness itself, of being totally nonattached from anything in the world, yet simultaneously a sense of total and complete freedom to be, do, or have anything, an experience of liberation beyond anything you could ever imagine.

Basically think of it as the end of suffering. It is the direct experience of Oneness with God.

If that is something that sounds appealing to you, cool. If not, that’s cool too.
Jarrod - Warrior Development said:

Thanks for this post Ariel.

I hadn’t thought of this way of explaining it to people.

Continuing with the comment thread.

When you see that the thoughts that go on inside aren’t real then they lose their control over you. Then you start living in a world without hands pushing you or sunglasses over your eyes.

Your actions are clear and you see the wonder of the world.

This cannot be reasoned, only felt.

Jarrod – Warrior Developments last blog post..Continuous Improvement: Plan and Reflect Daily

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