The Practice of Thought-Stopping

If you are anything like me, there is a possibility that you, at times, are plagued with non-stop and overwhelming thoughts. Thoughts are great and very important, don’t get me wrong.

Just the fact that I stated that is a little silly. From a spiritual and literal point of view, everything in existence is and was manifested from thought. Nothing can become a reality unless it is first thought of in the mind.

I think, therefore I am. Or is it, I am, therefore I think? The point is that thought leads to creation. In the mind of a human, however, it can lead to some very negative outcomes if not dealt with properly.

It’s my opinion that unchecked thoughts can lead to things such as depression, anxiety, and lack of sleep to name a few. These conditions can take you in circles, one leading to another, and can also manifest some very real and very physical ailments.

The point of this article is to suggest a technique that I use when I feel overrun with thoughts. To me, it’s much like the old game missile command.

I visualize my thoughts coming in at me like the missiles falling from the sky just like in the gameplay. My counter to the missile, or thought coming in is simply to recognize the thought.

Just understand in my mind that it’s a random unwelcome thought and then visualizing it like it's a missile and meeting it with acknowledgment is sometimes enough to stop it in its tracks.

Like in the game though, your mind never stops at one. They seem to be coming in from all directions. It’s a practice of visualizing and repeat. Over time this as silly as it seems has come to help me tremendously.

Now, for me, after years of practice with this, I have trained my thoughts to come in like in the game and it helps me to focus more on the thought-stopping process. However, there is one thought pattern that does not play by the rules.

I like to think these are the ones that come from a deeper subconscious level and even while playing this game in my mind I get lost in these. With time and effort, I am able to pull myself from the trance and stop this thought as well. This is also really helpful and important in many forms of meditation.

Due to my mental training, I see thoughts coming in from all directions like in the game as I stated earlier. These Thoughts, however, seem to be centered and focused like I’m experiencing them through a more first-person view. As stated, they don’t play by the rules of the game and require a different technique to stop them, if you choose to.

The second technique is also simple. I picture these thoughts that are more first person, as a man on a balcony moving around something large. I usually visualize him moving a piano. If I want to stop the thought, I imagine the man dropping the piano (the piano is the thought) and I simply jump back and out of the way. I remove myself from the path of the thought and the first person perspective.

I know it seems like a lot of thinking just to avoid thoughts. This is why I consider this something to be practiced. Over time the game and the visualizations become second nature and you won’t have to put any effort into the visualization itself.

For the record, I’m not an expert or a spiritual leader. This is simply my technique and I can only hope that it helps somebody the way it has helped me. I also believe strongly in meditation. In my opinion, the most helpful meditation is done when the mind is emptied and this technique is a baby step in that direction. A bowl is most useful when it is empty!

Thanks for reading!

Originally posted on my blog. Check it out here: https://kryztoff.website/

Original post: https://kryztoff.website/the-practice-of-thought-stopping/