Man, individual and personality are the key concepts of psychology, which are no less ...
Each of us has some useful ideas almost every day. But the human mind is so mobile that they are almost immediately replaced by new thoughts and are irrevocably forgotten.
There is another case where an idea is good but not timely. And in this case, it will most often also be safely forgotten.
But you can change the situation and decide not to miss a single idea anymore, even if at first glance it seems untimely, unrealizable or just plain strange. In the end, it is never possible to say for sure which undertaking will be successful and which will not be very successful. Ideas then come to us so that we can use them and change our lives.
What are the main reasons why we are missing ideas? At least they can be as follows:
1. Didn't write down the idea
Life circumstances can be dynamic and constantly changing. For example, very often ideas come up while driving, when the brain is practically free. Some thoughts may be prompted by music on the radio or something seen along the way. But recording in the car is inconvenient, and upon arrival at your destination there is a high probability of completely or partially forgetting the idea. A change of scenery promotes forgetfulness.
But it's not difficult to buy a notebook, a pen and put it all in the car. And now, if an interesting idea arises on the way, you can always write it down on the go or by making a stop.
2. The value of the idea that came to mind is not clear
This is another major reason why we miss out on good ideas. There are no completely useless ideas, there are only those, the benefits of which are not yet clear to us, and we just need to figure out how to apply them correctly.
Such ideas also need to be recorded. Someday they will acquire value, on their own, or in conjunction with some other idea.
3. Discarded the idea because it seemed stupid
Even if the idea seemed completely useless and stupid to you, it is still worth fixing it. After a while, it may be more useful to you. So, you can, for example, once a month look through all the previously written ideas, and surely among them there are useful and necessary ones at the moment.
Write down your ideas
Experience shows that the best ones come suddenly, in the most unexpected places and situations, when they don't even have anything to do with what you are doing at that moment. This is completely normal. Just write down the idea, and you can analyze and use it later.
Train yourself to capture promising thoughts.
Your subconscious mind is constantly working on the tasks that you set for yourself. But the form and timing of his answers to questions may be unexpected and incomprehensible at first glance.
Keeping such records will greatly increase your chances of success. In addition, you will always have entries in front of you with many ideas and perspectives, which is a source of optimism and motivation.
Of course, not all ideas are good, and not all of them can be realized. But remember the famous inventors. Each of them had to invent hundreds of unclaimed things at that time before they could create something useful. They invented materials that at one time were not needed by anyone, and even by themselves. Their value became clear over time.
Plus, keeping records will help you become a more organized person. You will have to regularly analyze the recorded ideas, and plan their implementation.
I had already been preparing this article for a long time, but still could not write it for the reason that I was not sure that I had a complete idea of how to get rid of obsessive thoughts.
Now I have learned from my own experience how to cope with such thoughts and am fully prepared to tell you about it.
Perhaps some of my readers think that from the moment I started creating this site, I completely got rid of all personal problems. Indeed, I had already changed a lot by the time of the first entries in this blog, but my current state cannot be called complete freedom from negative emotions, prejudices and fears.
My position can be characterized as a struggle with myself, during which experience and materials for these articles are born. Of course, in this confrontation between my true self and the primitive, instinctive, emotional self, the former gradually wins.
But this struggle continues: two steps back and four steps forward. Self-development stems from the awareness of one's shortcomings and work on them. If there is no struggle, then this does not mean a final victory, but rather a surrender.
After all, self-development is an endless process. I continue to face and struggle with some problems. Including with obsessive thoughts.
Mental "gum"
These thoughts have always been with me. They could occupy my head and make me nervous, endlessly mentally referring to the same experiences. It was like mental chewing gum.
I constantly chewed the same thoughts in my head, tried to resolve them, to untie some imaginary knot. But from my attempts to weaken him, on the contrary, he tied up even more.
I remember how, in my distant childhood, I could not stop thinking about some things that I could not think about at all. It must be that my brain's habit of endlessly "processing" some experiences and ideas was aggravated in times of other psychological problems.
I recently realized that I had learned to work with obsessive thoughts. Moreover, I am ready to formulate a method that allows me to get rid of them. I realized that this article may now finally appear.
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Obsessive thoughts come from emotions
This is the first thing you should understand. Obsessive thoughts are of an emotional, unconscious, irrational nature. They are associated with your devoid of all reasonable fears, anxieties and complexes.
This is why they are intrusive. The emotions that are formed in you make you constantly think about something. They seem to signal “Problem! Problem! We must look for a solution! "
It's like a notification in Windows or another operating system that appears as an icon and will annoy your eyes until you update some program, remove a virus, or install the required driver.
We can say that obsessive thoughts also have a positive function. They remind you of the problems that you must solve. And you cannot just take and turn off these "notifications". It's hard to starve to death when your brain constantly reminds you of food.
But, unfortunately, obsessive thoughts do not always tell us about some real problem. The mechanism by which these thoughts appear is rather subtle. And if, for some reason, the "standard settings" of this mechanism go astray, then natural human fears and worries can take an extreme form, manifesting themselves in the form of obsessive thoughts, which are very difficult to get rid of.
Everyone knows how normal health care can turn into hypochondria, how a natural fear of danger threatens to turn into paranoia.
And now you become a regular visitor to medical forums, and thoughts about your health do not leave your head. You may be constantly thinking about danger while you are outside. Or you cannot get out of your head the thought of what people think of you, although you yourself do not see any point in thinking about it.
The conclusion I want to make is that obsessive thoughts are based on emotions. Therefore, they have no rational nature. Therefore, they cannot be fought with logic.
This is a very important conclusion. I watched myself a lot, tried to understand how these thoughts appear and how they disappear, how my mind tries to deceive and confuse me. Earlier, in the evening, when I was very tired, I could not stop some thoughts.
For example, I could start to think something bad about myself, blame myself. No matter how skillful the inner lawyer was, who, using logic and common sense, tried to convince me that everything was not so bad (although of course he did not rule out a problem), the accusing party always took over, and everything became even more confusing. The more I tried to justify myself and get rid of annoying thoughts with the help of thoughts, the more I got confused and the more these thoughts overwhelmed me. This sport with itself caused the invisible knot to tighten even more.
The next day, in the morning, I didn't even want to think about this problem with a fresh mind. If I started thinking about yesterday's "dialogue" with myself, then I understood that the problem had a place to be, but it was greatly exaggerated and exaggerated by my state. I realized that the problem should be solved, not thought about it. There is no sense in these thoughts.
After some time, I realized what the deception and deceit of these thoughts lay. If you try to destroy them with logic, they will still prevail, since they are irrational and illogical and make you believe in absurd ideas, in front of which common sense is powerless.
You can't eliminate obsessive thoughts with logic
If you are inclined to blame yourself, then you will continue to blame yourself, even if you have nothing to blame yourself for. Because this is your mood and it is from it that these thoughts flow, and not because of any real situation! Even if suddenly you manage to convince yourself for a minute that these thoughts are groundless, then after a while they will come back again if you resist them and continue to provide them with a logical rebuff.
If you are in a mood in which you think that you are sick, that something bad will happen to your health, then no amount of positive test results will convince you otherwise. "What if the analyzes were inaccurate?", "What if I have something else?" - you will think.
And you will not see an end to these thoughts, no matter how absurd from the standpoint of common sense they are.
It is useless to try to refute them. Because it is impossible. They will come back and attack you with new absurd arguments that you will believe in, because you are in such an emotional state that gives rise to these thoughts about non-existent problems.
Remember the state when you are worried about something. No matter how you convince yourself that everything will be fine, that there is no reason to worry, your perception, distorted by nervous tension and excitement, draws you a perspective in the darkest tones. Not because everything is really bad, but because you now perceive everything that way. If in this state you begin to think a lot and talk about the future, then your negative perception will attract your thoughts to the "negative" pole and it will be difficult to break out of this attraction.
The method of getting rid of obsessive thoughts
You need common sense, but only at the very beginning.
First of all, you need to figure out if your obsessive thoughts are based on some real problem. It happens that mental gum harasses you, exaggerating the problem. But an exaggerated problem does not mean there is no such problem.
So think about what the reasons are for these thoughts. Getting rid of thoughts, you should not ignore the problem, if there is one. For example, it seems to you that you have some kind of illness and thoughts about it do not leave your mind.
Maybe these are really not unfounded fears, and you have symptoms of some kind of disease. If so, see your doctor. If you have already done this and you have not found anything - forget it.
Regardless of whether there is a problem or not, there is no point in thinking about it all the time! You either try to solve it, if it exists, or you forget about everything, if it doesn't exist.
This is the only time in the fight against obsessive experiences in which you need to apply logic and common sense.
What to do?
Pick a moment in time when you are in the best possible morale, when you are more optimistic and stronger than usual. For example, in the morning when you are full of energy, after exercise or after.
Convince yourself that it makes no sense to repeat the same thoughts thousands of times in your head. That these thoughts are deception or exaggeration, the purpose of which is to confuse you.
Understand the following things well
- you will not come to a solution to the problem if you constantly think about it
- obsessive thoughts do not have any rational basis, and if they are connected with some problem, then you will solve it, instead of constantly returning to it with thoughts
- you cannot get rid of the mental gum with logical reasoning and reflection
Realize the absurdity of obsessive thoughts
Further, you can once again, with the help of several logical theses, lay bare the entire absurdity of obsessive thoughts. For example: “I have nothing to be afraid of, because the tests showed nothing”, “they don’t die from attacks of panic attacks, I have read about this more than once”, “no one is trying to harm me”, “even if there really are things worth fearing you don't need to think about them 1000 times a day, this will only lead to nervous exhaustion. "
Your anti-intrusive argumentation should be intelligible and concise... You should not get carried away by arguing with yourself. Remember, in a long dispute with obsessive thoughts you are doomed to failure, in which emotions and fears will prevail over logic and mind and negative perception will itself "pull" thoughts to the negative pole.
To destroy the force of this attraction, you need to think less. When you think about annoying thoughts, chew them endlessly, you only reinforce them.
Set yourself up to ignore obsessive thoughts
Tell yourself that you will no longer think about what you think about all day long. and what plagues and torments you. Indeed, why chew mental gum all the time when it doesn't make any sense?
An obsessive thought is the repetition of the same thought in different ways. You will not get any new and valuable information from it, you will not come to any decision.
Therefore, give yourself the intention not to get carried away with fruitless thoughts. After you said it to yourself, made a promise that you will not break, draw an invisible line... After this line, you no longer pay attention to obsessive thoughts.
Don't expect thoughts to return no more
They will return more than once. Tune in like this: "Let them come back, what's the difference, I realized that these thoughts are deceit and do not relate to the real problem."
Thoughts will return, sometimes you will start to untie this knot in your head again. As soon as you notice that you are again carried away by this, smoothly divert your attention to the side. Do not argue with these thoughts, do not be upset that they came (and they will come), ignore them, treat them with complete indifference.
If you suddenly need to remind yourself of the absurdity of these thoughts, do not go further than short formulations: "nothing will happen to me, and that's it." Do not get involved in an argument that you will never win. All the endless arguments that again make you afraid or nervous are lies and deception.
Remember what I said in the article: if you are in such a psychological state in which you tend to worry about your health or about your future, or about your loved ones, then your mind will focus on this fear, no matter how absurd this fear is ... Don't turn your mind against yourself.
You probably know a puzzle toy that looks like a pipe. If you put the index fingers of different hands into both ends of this tube and try to free them with the help of physical effort, pulling your hands in different directions, then nothing will work, the tube will only squeeze the fingers more tightly. And if you relax and don't pull, everything will work out.
The same applies to obsessive thoughts. There is no need to want to get out of them at all costs. Relax, "hammer", let them be.
Be indifferent!
Your indifference to obsessive thoughts will rob your obsessive thoughts of their emotional content, which fills them with such a power that you sometimes cannot control. Over time, you will learn to manage your attention and notice those moments when you again began to think about what you should not.
Then thoughts will leave you forever.
But there is no need to wait impatiently when this will happen: "when will they leave!", "I try not to pay attention to them, but they still do not leave my head!" Such thoughts are not necessary!
Arm yourself with a salutary indifference: thoughts don't bother - okay, they come back - okay too. You don't need to turn thoughts about the appearance of obsessive thoughts into obsessive thoughts!
It’s not a big deal that repetitive reflections keep coming to you. If you have deprived them of their emotional "charge" and try to ignore them, then they do not harass your nerves as before. In this case, they become just an annoying notification window (you may have seen such windows on your computer) that pops up in your head from time to time.
And this is not so scary. You can live with it. Thoughts sometimes appear, but they no longer attract your attention and do not confuse you. They are just short signals in the head that come and go.
When I began to treat obsessive thoughts in this way, they left my head and I learned to deal with them. AND fighting obsessive thoughts is not fightingif you perceive the struggle as violent resistance. Relax!
Conclusion
I have already said in other articles that mental illnesses:, panic attacks, obsessive thoughts can either break you down or make you stronger (as in the statement of a famous philosopher).
Dealing with panic attacks can teach you. Dealing with depression can help you find the source of your happiness. And trying to control obsessive thoughts will teach you how to control your attention and control your mind.
Arm yourself with patience and work on yourself, then you will not only get rid of your ailments, but also get a valuable and useful experience as a result that will be useful in your life!
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Bad thoughts appear in your head for a variety of reasons. They can sit in the subconscious for a long time and interfere with a normal life. Therefore, they must be chased away. We will learn how to get rid of bad thoughts in several ways.
The impact of bad thoughts on life
Negative thoughts are very difficult to control. They interfere with rest, do not give rest even in a comfortable environment. This can cause deterioration not only in mental health, but also in physical health. A person becomes irritable, absent-minded, suspicious, hot-tempered, he develops new diseases.
Also, constantly thinking about the bad takes too much time. Although it could be spent on really important things. A person gets stuck in his experiences and does not move forward. Thoughts are material. Negative thoughts only attract troubles and fulfill fears.
"Do not take the bad in your head and the heavy in your hands" - so they say among the people, and for good reason. You need to free your head from pessimistic thoughts, and not overload yourself with physical labor in order to maintain your health. And bad thoughts always have dire consequences. Therefore, it is imperative to get rid of the negative.
Causes of bad thoughts
Any anxiety has a source. It must be determined in order to understand how to proceed further. Very often a negative story from the past interferes with living. The person experiences guilt (although it may be contrived) and constantly worries about it.
For other people, negativity becomes a character trait. They are also called complainants. They love to dig themselves and have been pessimistic since childhood.
Negative personality traits also poison life. It can be self-doubt, in which any event or decision becomes a test. In the same vein, suspiciousness can be considered. Anything from a news message to a conversation with random passers-by can put anxiety in the head of such a person.
Of course, real problems that a person cannot solve can also become a source. Expectation of the outcome just makes you nervous, drawing in your head not the most optimistic layouts.
But religion in its own way explains why there are always bad thoughts in the head. It is believed that the cause of obsessions and experiences is the unclean force, demons. They need to be fought in an unconventional way - by prayer.
Consider several techniques that psychologists advise to use when bad thoughts appear.
Calculation
The first step to solving a problem is to understand what is causing your concern. The reasons can be very deep, so it is better to visit a psychologist. But you can try to cope on your own. To do this, on a piece of paper, you need to write in two columns all your fears: real and fictional, and then opposite each one - his decision, that is, what needs to be done so that the worry does not come true.
For example, how to get rid of bad thoughts about an unclosed window or an unplugged stove? Every time before leaving home, you need to double check this action.
Decision
Often, negative thoughts arise from unresolved problems. If you can find a way out of the situation, then you need to act. Bad thoughts about the problem will go away as soon as it is solved. But, unfortunately, many are often used to complaining and not doing anything to change the situation. If you are reading this article, then this is not about you. You are definitely ready to act, and you will succeed. You just need to identify the source of the worry.
Adoption
Not all problems are solvable, sometimes nothing depends on the person. For example, a relative or friend is hospitalized and is fighting for his life. In such a situation, it's normal to worry. The solution is to accept negative thoughts. You need to be aware of what you are really experiencing, and this is not unusual.
Do bad thoughts enter your head? Accept them and live with them. But you do not need to give them free rein, otherwise they will master the behavior. It is better to observe negative messages from the outside, without further reaction to them. The essence of this technique is action, not savoring thought. So do whatever you can and leave the rest to chance.
Deletion and replacement
This method requires a little awareness and understanding of your emotions. As soon as you feel that negativity appears in your head, then immediately remove it, as if you were throwing garbage in a bin. You need to try not to get hung up on thoughts, not to develop this topic, but to try to forget about it. The best assistant in this matter will be substitution. The point is to start thinking about something pleasant, positive, or at least neutral.
With this technique, there is no need to figure out how to get rid of bad thoughts. They are not fed, but replaced by other events. It will get easier and better each time. And after a while, consciousness will begin to use this method automatically.
Postponement
No wonder they say that the morning is wiser than the evening. Sometimes it's best to put your thoughts aside for later. For example, if you are unable to sleep because of bad thoughts, promise yourself that you will definitely think about it tomorrow. If the problem is not particularly serious, then the brain will easily agree with this proposal. Most likely in the morning the negative will no longer bother and even resolve by itself.
This is a very simple yet powerful technique. It can be used in many situations. It makes no sense to think about what will become insignificant in the future. Realizing this, it is much easier to get the negative out of your head. This method will not work for serious problems. It is better for them to find solutions.
Suppression
Imperceptibly bad thoughts appeared in my head, what to do then? It is necessary to suppress the desire to be upset as soon as possible so as not to develop an unpleasant topic. To do this, you need to postpone all your affairs, count to thirty and take five deep exhalations and breaths. The brain needs time to comprehend the subject of thought, so as not to make irrational conclusions and unreasonable actions.
If the anxiety still persists, then repeat all steps. If possible, leave the premises and take a short walk. This will allow you to put your thoughts in order and even distract from negativity.
Driving to the point of absurdity
You can try the exact opposite technique. On the contrary, you need to completely immerse yourself in bad thoughts and consider what such bad things can happen as a result. It is most effective to imagine the most. Connect your imagination, use exaggeration, make your thoughts bright.
For example, you might have an important job interview. It is clear that many have bad thoughts at such moments. Imagine in color what failure you can expect. The HR manager, as soon as he sees your resume, starts shouting loudly and throwing tomatoes. You decide to run away from such a shame and run out of the office. But then a cleaning lady throws a wet rag at you, because you trampled the entire floor. In surprise, you fall, get up and run again. And then you are abducted by aliens and taken to another planet.
It's absurd, isn't it? But it is precisely this kind of exaggeration that robs negative thoughts. One has only to try to make sure that the technique is effective.
Wording on paper
Psychologists also recommend that you state all your bad thoughts on paper. You need to write them down in detail, in all colors and details. The more often we formulate experiences, the less often we return to them. This means that they will bother you less and less. Bad thoughts set out on paper should be considered a passed stage, so the sheet can be torn or burned.
Sometimes it is more efficient not to destroy the records. In some situations, it is better to fill in two columns on the sheet - negative and positive thoughts, so that you can compare them later. The first one records negative experiences. And in the second - pleasant. It can also be some kind of positive attitude. For example, "I am smart," "I do a good job," "I am a wonderful wife," and so on.
You can write down only your good qualities on paper and place it in a prominent place (on your desktop or in the bathroom). As soon as bad thoughts appear, immediately look at this list to remind yourself of the good ones.
Positive social circle
Pay attention to the kind of people around you. Consider if there are any acquaintances and friends who provoke negative thoughts. If you count even a few of these people, then you should not blame yourself and even more upset. Whatever the true reason for the behavior, relationships with these people are detrimental to mental health. Experts recommend temporarily avoiding these individuals. If during this period your mood and well-being have improved, then it will be better to end the relationship with them.
You should not stick to people who constantly insult, ridicule, do not respect your hobbies and time. Better to have one friend, but a positive one, and you don't have to think about how to remove bad thoughts. Cheerful people always bring back good memories, cheer up and charge with positive energy.
There are also universal ways that are great for dealing with bad thoughts. Psychologists also recommend actively using them. They bring feelings into balance with mild anxiety, and in more difficult cases, they only enhance the effect of the above techniques. Their main mechanism is distraction. Perhaps, these methods will be familiar to many from personal practice.
Positive music
Scientific studies have shown that you can drown out bad thoughts with a pleasant melody. Therefore, determine for yourself the best music channel or wave on the radio, and also create a playlist of positive songs in your gadget. As soon as you feel that disturbing thoughts enter your mind, turn on the music loudly and cheer yourself up.
A favorite hobby or business will help you get away from fears and anxieties. This can be any activity that you enjoy (dancing, singing, cycling, handicrafts, reading books, growing flowers, and more).
Some get rid of stupid thoughts with dirty work - cleaning the house. They start washing dishes, floors, dusting, cleaning closets, and so on. Positive music will brighten up your unloved business, of course. Thus, evil thoughts will receive a double blow and disappear in one moment.
Physical exercise
Sport is a great way to get rid of bad thoughts. Physical activity relieves adrenaline, unloads the nervous system, therefore relieves stress well. In addition, with regular exercise, a beautiful toned body will be a pleasant bonus. This psychological relief, coupled with an awareness of one's attractiveness, increases self-confidence and reduces the number of concerns. Just don't overload yourself. Do not forget about moderation and good rest, so as not to leave room for negative experiences.
Proper nutrition
It is drinking and food that give us the resources and strength to exist. An unbalanced diet, hunger or lack of fluid can drain the body and lead to fatigue. It is she who creates the conditions for experiences even on an insignificant occasion. Therefore, it is important to eat healthy food and use healthy drinks (fruit drinks, freshly squeezed juices, compotes, green tea and clean water). In moments of sadness, it is worth pampering yourself with food antidepressants: chocolate, raisins, bananas, hazelnuts, and what you love yourself. Psychologists say that good food also drives away bad thoughts.
Turning to God
Prayer helps religious people to get rid of bad thoughts. Only sincere conversion will become a powerful weapon in the fight against unclean forces. Prayer will establish an energetic connection with the deity and drive away the inner demons. Only here is the moment of resignation with what is happening, if you are not satisfied with certain circumstances. If despair or despondency has become a problem, then you need to turn to higher forces with gratitude. If you are offended or angry with another person, you should forgive him yourself and mention his mercy in prayer.
It is not necessary to know well-known texts in order to receive help from higher powers. It is enough to sincerely address and express everything in your own words, then you will definitely be heard.
Now you know how to get rid of bad thoughts if they visit you. You can use psychological techniques, universal techniques, or prayer if you are a religious person.
The most difficult thing for a person is to convince himself of something. And no matter what it is: an obsessive thought or a bad habit, fears, anxieties, low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence, weak willpower stand in the way. We may think that our brain can only be trained: to study sciences, languages, to solve logical problems. And what about our psychic sphere? She also needs to be trained, to closely monitor her emotional health. In my head, a constant sounding song does not give rest, or annoying thoughts all spin and spoil life. Then you are worried about the fear that you did not turn off the kettle or that you forgot to close the apartment, the light remained on, or the fear of getting into a car accident. All these thoughts do not allow you to calmly and sensibly reflect on situations, solve problems and achieve success in life.
What are obsessive thoughts?
As the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle says: Fear makes people think. And this is really so, as soon as our thin strings of the soul and subconscious mind imprint a strong emotional overstrain, which is so biting into our brain that various phobias arise. We become afraid to do something wrong, to be ridiculed or punished for our actions. Whole cars of thoughts come to mind, it is sometimes very difficult to control this flow, and sometimes even impossible. It seems that this is not subject to our will, bad thoughts completely surround and lead away from the right path of thinking. Think for yourself how many times, when you cannot complete a task or solve a problem, you scroll through a dialogue with yourself, mentally reproach you for your inferiority, ignorance, underdevelopment, get angry, afraid to do wrong. Such thoughts only lead your thoughts to the wrong path, do not allow you to see the rational kernel in the situation, and anger grows more and more, time is running out. And then, comes disappointment with oneself and a desire to find out where these unpleasant and such obsessive thoughts come from? And most importantly: how to get rid of obsessive thoughts.
Psychologists believe that obsessive thoughts are a neurotic disorder - neurosis or obsessive thoughts syndrome. This disorder is characterized by obsessions, thoughts - obsessions and related behavior - compulsions. In fact, many people quickly and painlessly cope with such a misunderstanding between the person and the psyche, while others require the help of a psychotherapist. Obsessive thoughts can be associated with diseases, disasters, death, dirt, not ideal. Coping with the slightest obsessive thought is sometimes difficult, but possible. Before scourging yourself and going to a psychiatric clinic for help, pull yourself together and try to figure out on your own how to get rid of obsessive thoughts, and we will help with this.
Developed a system, step-by-step guide, to cope with the flow of obsessive thoughts and remove yourself from their influence.
Fear is not at all in danger, it is in ourselves - he said Stendhal, French writer. To understand the causes of fear, take one day to complete the guide and you will succeed. The main reason for the appearance of annoying thoughts is fear: before people, society, mom, dad, your soul, death. We are afraid to make ourselves uncomfortable, and when we experience it, our thoughts are increasingly trying to "protect" from this. Say NO to obsessive thoughts and start fighting.
Instructions for managing your thoughts and emotions
- Change the strategy of perceiving these thoughts - to the all-in method. Turn your back on the annoying murmur and fear, but face, take them for granted, as one step on the path to improvement. Believe me, when the attitude towards these thoughts changes, it will become much easier for you to find a way to get rid of. As soon as a thought comes to mind, like: Did I turn off the iron? I can’t do it because I don’t know how. Find the positive sides in them: if I think about it, it means that this quality is worth developing: attentiveness or the ability to analyze, memory. Say thank you to yourself for the tip. Thus, learn from each such thought. Take a day for this analysis and write the lessons learned on paper.
- The next step - as soon as a sticky thought arises that you cannot get rid of, calm down, take a comfortable position, take a pen and a piece of paper. Close your eyes and let your thoughts flow on their own without being forced or challenged. Then, quietly opening your eyes, write them down on paper. It can be arguments or internal dialogue, censure or reflections like: what if ... When the sheet is written, turn on the slow soothing music and read what you wrote. It will seem not as scary and terrible, hopeless as it really is. We read it and learned a lesson: we ourselves inflate the situation. Now you can defiantly tear, burn or throw away this paper and thought at the same time.
- Dig in your memory and determine which picture in front of your eyes causes a storm of only positive emotions, affection and uplifting mood. Found it? Now, with each flash of obsessive thoughts, turn on sleep mode and scroll through this picture or situation, so you get distracted and you can simply forget what you thought about earlier.
- When unwanted and annoying thoughts swarm in the brain, think, maybe this is a reaction to a hidden meaning. For example, you should learn English, words or constructions, grammar exercises. And the unwillingness to do this causes other thoughts, there are beliefs that a person will not be able to complete a task or learn words. The hidden meaning is in plain sight, find it and use point 1 - change your attitude and believe in yourself.
Tips for those who need to be able to control their thoughts
- Find the true reason for such thoughts, what you really fear: death, pain, fire. Try to live with it, fighting will only make it worse. To rise above fear is your task.
- At the first analysis of your thoughts, you will be unpleasant, ashamed, uncomfortable. But this is all temporary, as soon as you find reasons to get rid of them, you will feel relief.
- Get ready for a new attack of obsessive thoughts, do not be intimidated and do everything from the beginning, be ready to fight back.
OBJECTS]
45. The second method of concentrating the mind, namely, without using objects, consists of three stages: instant expulsion of thought at the very moment when it appears like a flash; leaving incomplete any arising thought; bringing the mind to its natural state [of absolute peace, not disturbed by thought processes (2).
(2) Briefly, the essence of these methods is to instantly block thought, allow thoughts to arise freely without limiting them, and bring the mind into a state of complete rest.
[STOPPING THINKING PROCESS]
46. \u200b\u200bThe elimination of thought at the very moment when it arises like a flash is carried out as follows.
While meditating in the above way, the meditator finds that thoughts are continually arising because the mind reacts to stimuli. Knowing that one should not allow even one thought to appear, one must exercise vigilant control and try to block this continuous emergence of thoughts. And as soon as a thought arises, you need to pluck it entirely by the roots and continue to meditate.
47. When a meditator devotes a longer time to efforts to prevent thoughts from arising, he finds that thoughts follow one another on the heels, and it seems to him that their number is infinite. This is the knowledge of the nature of thoughts, which is the recognition of the enemy (1). This is called the "first resting place". The first stage of mental tranquility is achieved, and the yogi with an unperturbed mind observes the continuous stream of thoughts as if he were serenely resting on the bank of the river, watching its course (2).
The enemy of yogi is uncontrollable thoughts.
To convey the meaning of this phrase, I had to resort to its free extended translation. Literally, it could be translated as follows: "This is called the" place of the first rest, "like a river bank, past which water flows." In other words, if the yogi has acted successfully up to this point, he will free himself from the tyranny of the thought process and will be ready to perform even greater tasks awaiting him on the Path to Nirvana.
48. As soon as the mind comes to a calm state, even if for a single moment (3), it notices the arising and disappearing of thoughts. This will give the impression that there are more and more thoughts. But in reality, thoughts always arise, and there is no increase or decrease. Thoughts are born instantly. That which is aloof from the arising of thoughts and is able to immediately stop this arising is Reality (4).
Indian yogis define this shortest unit of time (which they can record) as the length of time between the cutting of the first and second of three hundred banana leaves, which are laid on top of each other and cut with one blow of the sword.
Tib. pierce, che-nyid. Reality is not a human mind that knows the continuous flow of thoughts. Reality is comprehended only in the True State, and a yogi, being in it, if he has merged with Reality, with this Noumenal Source, can prevent the emergence of thoughts, just as a person who knows how to use a switch can turn on and off an electric current.
[NON-RESPONSE TO THOUGHT]
49. At the next step, which is the abandonment of any emerging thought, unformed, the method consists in an indifferent attitude towards it, allowing it to act independently, not falling under its influence and not making attempts to suppress it (2). Let the mind behave like her shepherd [or watchman], and you go on meditating. Then thoughts will cease to arise, and the mind will be in a passive calm state, focused on one thing.
This method is diametrically opposed to the method described in paragraphs 46-48. However, for the one who has mastered the preparatory yoga exercises, there is no inconsistency between them, since both methods are mainly a means of disciplining the mind, in a sense fulfilling the same role as Latin for the student studying it. With the first method, the yogi begins to understand that the formation of thoughts is as natural as breathing, and when the body is biologically functioning normally and the mind is active, the latter is just as difficult to calm down as any other process inherent in embodied existence. The second method, considered here, leads to the true goal, when the Knower, having reached the superconsciousness, observes from the sidelines and dispassionately the spontaneous flow of thoughts.
50. Again thoughts are going to sweep like a meteor [sweeping in the sky for one instant, but in an uninterrupted way] (3).
(3) In the original - khyur-khyur. An onomatopoeic word meaning movement in relation to a meteor flying in the sky, an arrow that slices through the air, or a plume of smoke blown away by a light wind.
51. If you meditate as before, the state of peace will continue. This is called the "average state of rest", likened [in its serenity] to the calm flow of a river.
52. Keeping the mind in this inactive state leads to the formation of a sediment in the mind (1).
(1) Sediment is thoughts, as the following sentence makes clear.
53. The expert in the Teachings (2) said:
If the mind is inactive, it becomes calm. When the water settles, it becomes transparent.
(2) The name of this sage is not given in the text. But it was Gampopa or Dzongkhapa, who were the illustrious apostles of the White Guru Dynasty, who transmitted, as stated in the homage formula, this treatise (see Book 1, introduction: the author of the book and his fellow practitioner).
54. And the great teacher of yogis [Milarepa] instructed:
When the mind is in primordial unchanging
state, Knowledge is born.
When this state, which can be likened to the calm flow of a river, is preserved, the fullness of Knowledge is achieved.
O yogi, stop directing and formulating thoughts,
Keep your mind calm at all times.
55. The great Saraha summarized in the following verses the essence of the teachings about this dual method used during meditation:
When the mind is bound [undisturbed] it strives
wander in each of the ten sides.
When free, he is solid and motionless.
And I understand now that he is as stubborn as a camel.
[A METHOD FOR Bringing Your Mind to its Natural State]
56. The third way, which is bringing the mind to its natural state, consists of four steps.
[A DEGREE SIMILAR TO THE SPIN OF THE BRAHMAN CORD]
57. The first stage is to keep the mind in a balanced state with the same diligence with which the brahmana cord (1) is spun, since it must be spun evenly. It should be neither too tight nor too weak. Likewise, during meditation, one should not strain the mind too much, otherwise thoughts will get out of control (2).
(1) The cord of a brahmana, which a brahmana wears as the mark of his caste, should, according to tradition, be spun by a virgin and with the greatest care, for if it breaks during spinning, misfortune will follow. Saraha (see books 2 - INTRODUCTION: 1. About the origin of the teachings of the great symbol) was by birth a brahmana, which explains the appeal to this analogy.
(2) Thoughts should be under the control of consciousness, which, like a shepherd, guards them.
58. If you relax strongly, laziness arises. Therefore, one should meditate with the same energy.
59. In the beginning, the meditator applies the method of instantaneous cutting off thoughts (3) and therefore strains. But when fatigue appears, you need to relax, allowing thoughts to wander spontaneously (4).
(3) See paragraph 46.
(4) See No. 49.
60. This method of alternating tension and relaxation, used in our school, has now been examined. Tightening and relaxing the mind, which can be likened to increasing and decreasing the tension on the threads while spinning a brahmana cord, is called "keeping the mind in a state like spinning a brahmana cord."
[DEGREE SUITABLE FOR DISCONNECTING THE STRAW BAR)
61. At the second stage, called "the separation of mind from thoughts is like the separation of a bundle of straw by pulling out a part", a prerequisite is the adoption of an unshakable decision to remain vigilant, because previous attempts to block thoughts created thoughts (1).
(1) The efforts that have been made so far to prevent, control or not control thoughts, inevitably lead to the formation of other thoughts. Now the goal is to achieve a higher degree of peace of mind. It is necessary to stop the continuous thought process, as a rope twisted from straw is divided into parts, in which each stem of straw serves as an analogy for some separate thought, and the rope symbolizes the continuity of the thought process.
62. The ability to cognize, leading to the formation of new thoughts, was involved in the methods of blocking thoughts described above, and this made meditation difficult (2).
(2) The Yogi must now understand (and he is reminded of this) that he has not done much yet. The goal is still far away. But at the same time, he begins to realize that his yoga classes are necessary for his further development, as a person preparing to become an athlete needs exercises that develop muscles.
63. Disconnection from the ability to cognize and from the knower and keeping the mind in an inactive calm state is called a way of freeing the mind from all mental activity and efforts, and this way of disconnection can be likened to breaking a bundle of straw.
[DEGREE SUITABLE TO A CHILD'S PERCEPTION]
64. The third stage is called "the state of mind of a child looking at frescoes in a temple [and completely absorbed in this occupation]."
65. To keep vital currents in the channels, the mind is tied to the cognitive ability and the knower (1), like an elephant to a pillar.
(1) It was said above that the mind has the quality of a stubborn camel. Now he is compared to a clumsy and clumsy elephant. There is a vital force in the body (Skt. Prana), which is subdivided into ten vital currents (Skt. Vayu). "Vayu" comes from the root "va" - to breathe or blow, meaning the driving force of prana. These vayu, consisting of negative prana, control the life processes of the body, and therefore each of them has its own location and is in charge of certain functions. Normal health required for a yogi depends on the preservation of each vital current in a normal state, in other words, in the channel that he must occupy (see "The Tibetan Book of the Dead", p. 346).
66. As a result of this practice, forms similar to those woven of smoke, or etheric ones, arise, and the yogi experiences the bliss of ecstasy, being on the verge of fainting (2).
(2) This is a consequence of the fact that vital currents penetrate the median nerve (Skt. Sushumna-nadi), which is the main channel for psychic forces moving with the help of their carriers - vayu. In addition to this psychophysical factor, a spiritual factor acts in parallel, namely the first faint glimpses of cognition of the mind, not affected by thought processes. In the West, this ecstatic state is called "enlightenment." This is the first fruit of the attained perfection in meditation. In this state, the mind of the yogi embraces the deepest peace, which arises from the direct feeling of oneness with Nature and Her Source. The human nature of a yogi who has attained the True State gives way to the divine one. Now he is faced with the task of entering this state at will and staying in it for an increasingly long time. His final goal is to enter this state forever at the moment of death, or to choose the Highest Path of the Bodhisattva and give up this Freedom in order to help others achieve Liberation.
67. Visions that arise in this inactive state of the body and mind, when it seems that you are floating in the air, should be perceived with indifference - without sympathy and antipathy, that is, not to get attached to them and not to turn away from them. Therefore, when there is neither attachment nor aversion to any vision that arises, such a perception is called "the state of mind of a child viewing [frescoes] in the temple [and completely absorbed in this occupation]" (1).
(1) A child, looking first at one fresco, then at another, does not feel the attraction pi to one of them, but at the same time his attention is entirely focused on looking at the frescoes, since he does not know what he will see yet. And such a mental focus, based on expectation, but without attachment, should a yogi maintain at this stage of mental training.
68. The fourth step is keeping the mind in such a state of indifference, with which an elephant takes pricks from thorns (2).
(2) At this stage, the "Knower" must be completely indifferent to such stimuli as constantly replacing thoughts, just as the elephant, thanks to its thick skin, is insensitive to the pricks of thorns.
69. When thoughts arise in a calm state of mind, they are realized simultaneously with their appearance. When the "Preventing" [that is, the consciousness trained through yoga to the vigilant vigilance, which was mentioned above, in order to control thoughts] and what needs to be prevented [that is, the process of forming thoughts] meet each other, the emerging thought is deprived of the ability give a new thought (3).
(3) When a calmness of mind is achieved, simultaneously with the appearance of a thought, apperception occurs, or its capture, which then occurs unconsciously or automatically, just as the heart beats. As a result, the development of thought stops, and it loses the ability to transmute into a new thought.
70. Since the "Preventing" is himself, and there is no need to look for him, this state is called "the state in which the continuous stream of consciousness acts automatically."
71. The ability to keep the mind in such a state in which thoughts are not hindered and do not react to them when they are noticed is compared to the indifference of an elephant not sensitive to the pricks of thorns, and hence it is called so (1).
(1) This yogic ability can be classified as the highest form of indifference to physical and mental reactions to stimuli. This is one of the black steps at which the illusions of samsara are neutralized, and this path leads to the True State. However, this is not the ultimate goal.The ultimate goal is to realize that samsara (that is, the created world) and nirvana (that is, the uncreated world) are an inseparable unity, comprehended at the final stage of analysis by the Mind illuminated by the Light of Bodhi. In other elephants, the state in which thoughts arise, and the state in which thoughts do not arise, are two opposites, which, upon mastering the yoga of the Great Symbol, will be perceived not as duality, but as unity.
[HIGHEST STATE OF REST]
72. This [state] is called the highest state of rest and is compared to the ocean, on the surface of which there are no waves.
73. Although in such a tranquil state the movement of thoughts, their arising and disappearing is registered by the mind, it is called "a state in which the line between movement and rest disappears", because the mind has reached tranquility and is indifferent to movement (2).
74. Thus, the concentration of the mind on one is achieved.
75. That which is cognized by "Moving" and "Immovable" [that is, motion and rest in indivisible unity], is called, if It is correctly understood, "All-Discriminating Wisdom, or the Overworldly Reason" (3).
The human mind is inseparable from the One Mind. The goal of yoga is to bring about this union of the human and divine aspects of the mind. This will happen only when the mind is free from the illusion of samsaric existence and realizes itself. The All-Discriminating Wisdom is the Wisdom of the Bodhic (Overworld) Consciousness (or Mind) in a state of nirvana, which gives the ability to cognize each thing separately and all things in their unity.
76. As the "Graceful Sutra" says (1):
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