Thinking

Thoughts

“Some of the worst things in my life never even happened.” ~Mark Twain

“Don’t believe everything you think” ~Bumper Sticker

Overview

The goal of Mindfulness Meditation is not to have an empty or silent mind. Though this might happen sometimes briefly, the goal of Mindfulness Meditation is to be present and aware. That means there will always be something to be aware of. In Mindfulness Meditation, thoughts come and go and you observe the process of this happening rather than becoming involved in the content of the thinking. Notice that you are thinking rather than noticing what you are thinking about. Notice that thinking is happening and observing the passing nature of our thoughts. As soon as one thought finishes it is instantly and effortlessly replaced by another thought.

There are two kinds of thinking:

• Observational Thinking – Noticing or observing that something is or is not happening. Sometimes it can be helpful to think of observational thinking as a single word such as: sound, silence, dark, light, temperature, feelings, thinking, etc.

• Discursive Thinking – The content of thinking, what you are thinking about, the specific ideas, stories, fantasies, or imaginings that are the content of thinking. Sometimes it can be helpful to think of discursive thinking as a sentence or paragraph or chapter or book of thoughts.

Observational thinking can slip into discursive thinking like this: You may be observing that you are experiencing sound. It can also be observational thinking to note that it is the sound of a human voice. It can be observational thinking to notice your positive or negative or neutral relationship to this sound of this human voice that you are hearing right now. At this moment you are noticing both the sound and your relationship to the sound.

Observational thinking slips into discursive thinking when you begin paying attention what the human voice is saying, when you get caught up in the content of the human voice’s words and meanings, or when you begin imagining who the person is or who the person is talking to or why they are talking the way they are (i.e. accent, volume, word emphasis, etc.). Even if it turns out that you are right about all these details real or imagined, you are involved in discursive thinking – the story about what is happening, the “why” of what is happening, the “who,” “what,” “when,” and “where,” of what is happening. When this happens, depending on where you are in your meditation practice, you can either bring attention back to the breath, to again anchor you in the present moment and stabilize attention or you may simply bring awareness back to observational thinking. Mindfulness is a exercise of maximizing Observational Thinking and minimizing Discursive Thinking. With continued practice eventually you will find most discomforts, pain, stress and suffering in life involve Discursive Thinking.

Formal Practice Instructions

For those people new to meditation start off with attempting a MEDITATE DAILYish for at least 5 minutes per day. Start where you can. What’s important is that you start, not whether you start “right” or are doing it “right” or “consistently.” You’ll need to MAKE time because you won’t FIND it. Our schedules, habits and reactions in everyday life will always seem more demanding and important than sitting to meditate. When first establishing a Mindfulness practice often people find it helpful to schedule it right after an activity you perform on a daily basis to help remind and cue you to Meditate. Begin with Mindfulness of Breath Meditation. Once you feel “settled”, let the focus of attention move from feeling the breath to noticing whatever thoughts are happening right now. You do not need to do anything about them. You don’t need to figure them out or make them go away. Let attention rest on whatever thinking is happening. Are the thoughts about the present, the future or the past? Are they fantasies? Are they about you or others? Are they evaluations and critical or judgment or appreciative? Are they “shoulds” or “coulds”? Are they agitated or rejecting or peaceful and accepting? Are they more positive or more negative?

Notice the quality or tone of the thinking that his happening. Is it loud or quiet, harsh or gentle, critical or kind, insistent or relaxed, certain or tentative, rapid or slow? Notice the energy of the thinking. Is it strong or weak? Does it pull you into its content? Does it leave you alone? Are you attracted to and interested in the content and do you go to it? Notice the tone and energy of the thinking and your relationship to it. Are you for or against it? Do you experience it as positive or a negative? Notice if there is any judgment about the tone of the thinking.

Resist judging the kinds of thoughts. Remember that mindfulness is about noticing, observing in a friendly, open and curious manner. You don’t need to do anything with, to or about the thoughts. Just notice. If attention gets caught up or lost in the content of the thinking or becomes stuck, gently bring it back to the breath. Focus attention on the breath until it feels “settled” again, then move the focus from feeling the breath back to whatever thinking is happening.

Informal Practice Instruction (Everyday Life)

Each day, while engaged in an ordinary routine or activity, devote 15 to 20 minutes per day for “being” with thinking rather than “doing” anything about it. Use a timer or some other reminder to begin and end. Notice and label the kind of thinking that is happening. What are the qualities of the thinking? Is the thinking that is happening related to what you are doing? What emotions do you experience in the presence of the thinking, what is your relationship to the thoughts? What physical sensations do you notice throughout the Body while the thinking is happening? Notice if and how the thinking is affecting whatever it is that you are doing at the present moment.