Most people on this planet are stuck in their heads most of the time. Thoughts about the past, worries about the future, and just plain trivial nonsense dominate most peoples’ moments.
That’s the bad news.
The good news is that past years have seen an upsurge in public awareness that this state of affairs is not a good thing. For millennia before this, people accepted that their minds were who they were and didn’t see this as particularly concerning. The boom in meditation and mindfulness has the world trending in the right direction.
The faulty understanding of dealing with the mind
But many wading into the incipient stages of these practices have a faulty understanding of what the true game plan is.
They identify, correctly, that the mind and all of its injurious, involuntary thinking is the main culprit. They then deduce, logically, that the way to approach this problem is to try and conquer or control this mind that has caused them so much grief throughout their lives.
How does this strategy manifest? In meditation, people say to themselves, “Okay, let’s focus on stopping my crazy mind from thinking…”
This may work for a short while, but then the thoughts inevitably come charging back with a vengeance.
How we go wrong in mindfulness practice
In practicing mindfulness, it comes out when, for example, someone is out in nature and says,
“Wow. What a beautiful sunset. Let’s just stop thinking and be present with it…”
This also ends in frustration and increased thought traffic.
Or when their spouse says something that infuriates them, they stop, close their eyes, and say to themselves,
“Okay. I’m not going to let that incredibly stupid and insensitive comment rile me up. He/she probably didn’t mean it the way I’m taking it. Just chill out…”
That’s not mindfulness. It’s suppression.
Observe, don’t conquer
The point is that the human mind cannot be wrestled into submission by direct action. It’s simply too strong.
So, what is the best strategy for slaying our noggin dragons?
To observe your thinking mind.
