Observing the mind

[Tarri]

:/ I have been reading the threads on the forum. What I was reading tonight was about expectation, anticipation,and that STUPID movie reel that just starts Rolling in your mind. And it isn't until the last dish is put away or you are finished dressing that you realize you have been letting this dialogue run on for several minutes. I am horrified when this happens. Anyway, I was laying here thinking about what I was like say six years ago and where I find myself now. I thought I would share it.
I have noticed that when I first began the studies and the work I was kind of lost as I did not notice many of the mind traps and programs that they spoke of. Now, OMG, its exhausting catching ALL the crap that pops up. There are seriously days I'd like to just click a MUTE button in my head and yell enough already. I remember reading somewhere I think from the C's that the more you work on yourself the harder the Predater tries to pull you back. No shit. I look at what all (that I happen to catch) that needs correction and if not for reading some of your posts I'd think I was going mad. It gets overwhelming sometimes trying to keep up. The programs are SO fast. And relentless.
I also read in one of the Wave books how our negative emotions were programed through DNA manipulations. Do I remember that one correctly? That somehow gave me hope that it was not always how we were. When I'm not exhausted I have small moments of appreciation that I found this path. And know how lucky we have each other. What I am most grateful for is knowing that when any of us stumble or go down a wrong way we can always find our way back. Thanks for that. Now on that note I want to admit a problem I am aware of and am working on. I can be an attention hog. Instead of working on myself I end up TALKING about myself. I apologize to this group for my past blunders. Its out of the closet now.
My very hardest thing is not anticipating the results of this work. I could learn a lesson from my canine friend. Live in the NOW. I have been working on meditaion. And the breathing instruction. I suppose if that gentlman could learn to meditate in the battlefield I will eventually get the hang of it. Good night.

 

[Carl]

You are not the only one!

:/ I have been reading the threads on the forum. What I was reading tonight was about expectation, anticipation,and that STUPID movie reel that just starts Rolling in your mind. And it isn't until the last dish is put away or you are finished dressing that you realize you have been letting this dialogue run on for several minutes. I am horrified when this happens. Anyway, I was laying here thinking about what I was like say six years ago and where I find myself now. I thought I would share it.
I have noticed that when I first began the studies and the work I was kind of lost as I did not notice many of the mind traps and programs that they spoke of. Now, OMG, its exhausting catching ALL the crap that pops up. There are seriously days I'd like to just click a MUTE button in my head and yell enough already. I remember reading somewhere I think from the C's that the more you work on yourself the harder the Predater tries to pull you back. No shit. I look at what all (that I happen to catch) that needs correction and if not for reading some of your posts I'd think I was going mad. It gets overwhelming sometimes trying to keep up. The programs are SO fast. And relentless.

I notice this in myself particularly in times of excess stress, such as a long shift in work. After a few hours of repetitive tasks I end up losing my grip on my mind, and it just goes freely wherever it wants. It is noticeably worse on days when I haven't had a good restorative sleep, am deficient in magnesium or other minerals, am feeling inflamed from something that I have eaten, or have not done EE in a while. All of those are things to look at.

My very hardest thing is not anticipating the results of this work. I could learn a lesson from my canine friend. Live in the NOW. I have been working on meditaion. And the breathing instruction. I suppose if that gentlman could learn to meditate in the battlefield I will eventually get the hang of it. Good night.

Meditation is a good option, and I still now find it frustratingly difficult sometimes. Stretching and Pipe breathing beforehand seem to be effective in calming me down. An unquiet mind seems to be a result of a body that is rigid and tense in the wrong places, or when you are not using your whole self properly, as they say in the Alexander technique. I would suggest working from the "ground-up" when you find yourself unable to control your thoughts. This means starting with basic physiological stuff including diet, body awareness, and exercise.

 

[RedFox]

It can be amazing to look back and see how far we've come. Catching these things is a Really big step towards being able to stop them from controlling us.
I second what Carl has mentioned, and want to add the following that was added to SoTT a few days ago: Bothersome intrusive thoughts won't go away? Get more sleep!

Along with proper sleep, EE and diet there are other things that can throw us off - such as Worrying about and feeling powerless in the face of these tapes/loops. Usually there is an underlying cause, so perhaps next time you catch them first be gentle on yourself (don't run the "I'm a failure/I'm powerless" tape!) and do a bit of pipe breathing.
Then ask, what triggered this? What am I feeling that this is covering up or filling in for?

I can be an attention hog.

Maybe that's it? Loneliness/lack of social contact/feeling isolated perhaps? Hopefully then sharing how you are feeling has helped too! :)

Along with all that, perhaps the following will also be of help?
Treating anxiety & depression with mindfulness
How various brain areas interact in decisions, and how not to be a slave to our destructive emotions

 

[Tarri]

I have gone over the guide on posting. For the life of me, I am missing something on doing a quote. I click the quote but cannot seem to understand how to "select" what I want quoted. So my apologies.
I have been working on my dietary needs for several years. I do best with soups. Mostly poultry. I have done the marrow soups with beef and pork but those animals smell awful to me. I only get grass fed or free range. Chicken works best. I simmer the bones for 24 hours. My body also does well on fresh salads, though I have heard how its not the best thing to eat a lot of, I have just decided to eat what works. So dietary needs are getting there. I would still rather not have to eat. But hunger gets the best of me eventually of course. Fish works too.
I have limited ability for exercise, but stretching is great.
Thanks for those links Redfox. In the first article it said they kept a journal of what the triggers were and how they responded. It may get tiresome but I think that's a thought.
No, I don't get much socializing. I can't walk far, though I have a scooter It does not maneuver on city bus' s. My town is small and my little assistance dog and I roam all over town. :)
I will make an effort to come here. I am a little self conscious of sounding stupid. I know all of us have gone through this. It IS good to know I am not the only one. Thanks guys.

 

[axj]

From my experience, the mind chatter does not really go away, but it can become much quieter and less bothersome. Then it is also easier to quiet it down completely in meditation, for example.

The single most important thing for a clear and calm mind seems to be emotional healing. In some ways, it is really the growth work as it pertains to the emotional center - though often it involves things that can or need to be dealt with through therapy (or self-therapy). Everyone is wounded and has lots of emotional triggers, charges and emotional trauma that come up again and again, until they are healed.

 

[Carl]

It's good to know you are making progress in diet. Sorry, I was not familiar with your physical situation.

I have gone over the guide on posting. For the life of me, I am missing something on doing a quote. I click the quote but cannot seem to understand how to "select" what I want quoted. So my apologies.
I have been working on my dietary needs for several years. I do best with soups. Mostly poultry. I have done the marrow soups with beef and pork but those animals smell awful to me. I only get grass fed or free range. Chicken works best. I simmer the bones for 24 hours. My body also does well on fresh salads, though I have heard how its not the best thing to eat a lot of, I have just decided to eat what works. So dietary needs are getting there. I would still rather not have to eat. But hunger gets the best of me eventually of course. Fish works too.
I have limited ability for exercise, but stretching is great.
...
I will make an effort to come here. I am a little self conscious of sounding stupid. I know all of us have gone through this. It IS good to know I am not the only one. Thanks guys.

For quoting, when you're typing a new message, you can scroll down to the "topic summary", scroll to the appropriate message and click insert quote on the right.



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[lainey]

I think the important point here is that you have become aware of it, that's the first step. We have all gone for so long unconsciously running through endless thought loops; catching ourselves in these negative traps without even realising. So well done on the self awareness!
Persistence is the key here, no matter how slowly things seem to be going, never give up. It took me over a year to be able to look back and say wow, what a difference!
EE, meditation and self remembering are vital to me in obtaining a healthy mind and constant methodical application is vital.
It may seem like a long way off but you will get to a place where things calm down a lot. When I catch myself in a negative loop it usually means there is something going on that I need to mirror back at myself to get to the bottom of the matter and if it sticks there after that I just run through POTS to calm the "monkey mind".
Good luck in your path, it will get easier!

 

[Tarri]

It's good to know you are making progress in diet. Sorry, I was not familiar with your physical situation.

For quoting, when you're typing a new message, you can scroll down to the "topic summary", scroll to the appropriate messagel and click insert quote on the right.



You can then delete parts, bolt parts, and make new quotes appropriately


Re: Observing the mind
Re: Observing the mind

Example new quote

If you find that your post looks messed up in some way (this always happens to me), click the right-most button on the row of editing buttons (it's a blue arrow and will say "toggle view" when you hover over). This changes the post to code-view so you can see how your [ quote ] and [/ quote ] tags line up

Thank you. But does not look right still. I've been at it for some time. Will try again later.
I have been trying to do the EE from memory. I lost my DVD/CD during my moves. I am not making much progress in healing my feeling centers. Having that area almost completely shut down is worse than being almost blind. Its horrible. Had too much trauma to close together. Will be getting the EE DVD next month. I cannot do most of the body movements. But Laura did say do what works for you. My eyes are bugging out so I'm going. Good night to all . Tarri


Mod's note: fixed dangling quote tag

 

[placematt]

I think the important point here is that you have become aware of it, that's the first step. We have all gone for so long unconsciously running through endless thought loops; catching ourselves in these negative traps without even realising. So well done on the self awareness!

I agree. Could it be possibly taken further with the accumulation of knowledge to then label such thought patterns, traps and behaviours? Kind of like having self awareness alone creates more self awareness. To have more knowledge of narcissism, one can label their own behaviours. I'm very early in my journey and only recently have i just started to try and observe. I work a mundane job between my Uni break and i think it has a great capacity for my self learning and observation.

It can be amazing to look back and see how far we've come. Catching these things is a Really big step towards being able to stop them from controlling us.

I guess catching these behaviours comes with a lot of practice and persistence. Have you found that you are consciously catching these or every now and then you sort of halt in any moment and realise you have just begun some sort of program etc. Very curious i guess to the extent of these things being embedded.

 

[tohuwabohu]

I would tell that observing your mind is simply a matter of discipline.
I am doing it mostly at night when I get to bed and try to concentrate on my body and when any thought comes I will discard it and continue.

Then during day it is useful to be mindful and to observe your body like if it would be a machine. For example I am always concentrating on what I am doing NOW. If I have some thing to do I will do them quick so that they do not burden my mind. Also if you have some desire to do something you should just do it without fear what everyone thinks. The only important thing is what do you think. And let other be free to think what they wish and do what they wish. Treat yourself like you are someone who is dear to you.

With time a belief that you are not so important will start to crystallize in you. It is time then to put your focus on others. It is a genuine sensation to interact with others and not thinking about yourself. You will feel free.
And this is what service to others is all about.

 

[lainey]

I would tell that observing your mind is simply a matter of discipline.
I am doing it mostly at night when I get to bed and try to concentrate on my body and when any thought comes I will discard it and continue.

I find it helpful to be mindful not to try to clear all thoughts completely but to instead use a powerful seed thought such as the prayer of the soul. From the EE guide:

The meditation is performed with “seed”, which means it is neither
mindless nor without aim. The seed, entitled “Prayer of the Soul”, has been carefully
composed to be unlimited in its application to life and to create a subconscious ground of
positive, life-affirming thoughts in your quieted mind. The prayer addresses the Divine
Cosmic Mind, which is existence in and of itself. If you wish to address the Divine Cosmic
Mind in terms more familiar such as Jesus, Buddha, Allah, Krishna etc. that is also fine.
Should a divine personification not be part of your outlook, you may even look to your own
“best self” as being addressed. The Prayer of the Soul is intended to be universally applicable
to all personal philosophies.

I can't find where I read about not clearing thoughts completely. It has something to do with if you don't put thoughts in your head then something else will. Maybe another member can chime in if they remember reading this somewhere too.

 

[tohuwabohu]

I agree lainey, the Prayer of the Soul is more efficient than anything else.

I can't find where I read about not clearing thoughts completely. It has something to do with if you don't put thoughts in your head then something else will. Maybe another member can chime in if they remember reading this somewhere too.

Yes I remember this too, I tried a search but could not find the transcript where it is mentioned.
I am not sure in which context it was said.

 

[Palinurus]

I can't find where I read about not clearing thoughts completely. It has something to do with if you don't put thoughts in your head then something else will. Maybe another member can chime in if they remember reading this somewhere too.

Hi lainey,

I distinctly remembered to have read those words previously, but it took me a couple of hours searching before I finally found where they stem from. They are contained in Session June 9, 2009 which is part of a series of sessions which eventually brought about the EE breathing technique (in Session June 20, 2009):

<snip>

(J) Back to breathing? (L) Yes. So, what do you think of this Kriya?

A: Great stuff, eh? Lighten up on the fluff though.

Q: (J) Would the fluff be... (Craig) The drumming?

A: Drumming is good and intense. There is too much "free time" in altered states.

Q: (J) Remember what I was saying yesterday about how there was too much time when we were just lying there and nothing was being said... that should be guided.

A: When you sweep the house and leave it clean if you do not decide what to put back in then others will do it.

Q: (Craig) Does that apply to this group, or the public in general?

A: Not this group. But definitely those who have not integrated consciousness. The breathing is a tool, a technique, and should be seen as such and not as the result.

Q: (L) That make sense? (Craig) Yup. (J) Should there be any modifications to the breathing? (Allen) Yeah, is the breathing as it's taught now good enough?

A: Yes but your earlier observations were valid and most useful.

Q: (L) I guess when we were talking about the "huh" thing to get rid of anger - maybe that should come at the beginning? But I guess that would depend on the individual and what their problem was. Some people might not be able to release. I guess it would have to be different at different times, depending on the group, depending on the problem, depending on the instincts of the facilitator. (J) What about the question we raised about the staring and suggesting you take the other person in your heart. (Craig) Is there any danger in the eye gazing?

A: Yes, as with everything. But knowledge protects. That particular part is a bit of the New Age fluff. Gazing and unifying exercises should be undertaken with some care.

Q: (L) Like I said, I think that would be really good with couples. (A**) Yeah, it's kind of a personal, intimate thing, when you've already decided that you like somebody. (J) That's a good angle, Craig, couples' breathing!

<snip>

While searching, I found one specific topic that really seems to-the-point in the current context: The Role of Meditation in the Work, notably Reply #3 from Laura.

Hope this helps a bit. :)

 

[lainey]

Great work Palinurus! Here is Laura's input:

Some people ought to meditate one way, some people ought to meditate another way. Each individual has specific requirements as to type and duration of meditation. Every case is individual.

Meditation, taken in proper doses, along with "tuning the reading instrument", can certainly accelerate one's "progress."

There are two basic ways to meditate: with seed and without seed. That is, to have something to focus on, or to attempt to completely empty the mind. It is generally more productive to meditate with seed in the beginning. Depending on your "type" the "seed" will be different. If you are a visual person, holding a visual image in the mind works. If you are an auditory person, holding a phrase and "hearing" it in your mind works. If you are kinesthetic, holding a "feeling" or trying to achieve that feeling, works best.

Also, at the point when you begin to have some success in stilling the "chatter," you can experiment with changing the seed or combining. You might have a visual and auditory, or feeling and visual, or auditory and feeling, or all of them at once.

My personal preference is a phrase that I can also "see" as letters forming words that appear and dissolve. With this, I have both "thought content" as well as visual image and can easily add "feeling" and sound at will. I can also discard visual, auditory and feeling elements and simply concentrate on the "content."

Breathing is very important for a number of reasons. Very slow, controlled breathing with counting to start the process works very effectively. Breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. Once the breathing (that your are counting in order to regulate) becomes deep, slow and regular, then introduce either your phrase, visual image, or whatever you have selected as "seed." The breathing ought to continue as you have set it.

The object, in the beginning, is to set several tasks for your mind to focus on intently and to hold that focus for as long as you can. If your mind wanders and other thoughts come along, as soon as you realize that you have lost focus, just bring your mind back to the focus and don't get irritated that you have "lost your concentration." Most people can't focus on a single thing for longer than two or three minutes. That is why it is useful to begin with concentrating on the breathing and counting the breaths with the intention of setting up a specific depth and frequency. If you breath in for a count of 10, hold for a count of 5, breath out for a count of 10, and do this for at least 25 breaths in a row, you have achieved a respectable first step.

Another very useful technique is to find a poem or more lengthy quote to use as your breathing template AND "content."

For example, the so-called "Lord's Prayer" is very useful in this way.

Recite in your mind: Our Father Who art in Heaven ... on the in breath while holding in mind that the "kingdom of heaven, the "heavenly father" is the higher intellectual center ...

"Hallowed be thy Name...." on the outbreath while holding in mind that this is the part of you that is holy and which you desire to manifest through your self...

"Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done"... On the in breath while considering the fact that you wish to establish a link with your higher centers - the REAL you - via the magnetic center,

"On Earth as it is in heaven" on the out breath, contemplating the fact that once the magnetic center is formed that the will of the spirit, the "heavenly kingdom" can be brought into your life...

You don't have to do the whole prayer, the above is sufficient seed, but if you want to do the whole thing, I think you have the idea. You can visualize the words, consider the content, "feel" them, all the while the words themselves are acting as the "counter" for your breathing.

Some people can achieve very good results with very simple seed, other people require more complexity. Again, the point is to have something that you can focus on and to hold that focus intently. It is more or less an exercising of the Will and Intent, building a sort of "psychic muscle."

You may be surprised at the tenacity of the chatter and its resistance to this one-pointed focus.

I also found this part very interesting:

Laura also explained in the Eiriu Eolas thread:

Generally, when certain channels/circuits begin to clear and open, but are not yet tuned, all kinds of stuff gets picked up. It's like turning on a radio receiver or a TV that is "between stations" or receiving interference. You can see faces, hear sounds, experience all kinds of interdimensional stuff. The key is to not get distracted by that stuff. Keep your eyes and focus on the light/knowledge.

And generally, I think it is best to concentrate on your life in general, rather than on things that are complex and difficult to understand, and pretty much are beyond your direct grasp. It can be dangerous if you play with an idea you have little understanding and knowledge of.

This goes hand in hand with diet and health. In order to become the most effective transducing unit we must clean our machine, eat well, don't scramble the signal with drugs/alcohol, rid ourselves of bad habits that are a waste of energy.
I guess meditation helps to build willpower as well so the more we do it the better we are at focusing and we are more likely to put our energies into reading, exercising and contributing to SOTT and other projects.
As Laura said above, building our psychic muscle.

 

[RedFox]

It can be amazing to look back and see how far we've come. Catching these things is a Really big step towards being able to stop them from controlling us.

I guess catching these behaviours comes with a lot of practice and persistence. Have you found that you are consciously catching these or every now and then you sort of halt in any moment and realise you have just begun some sort of program etc. Very curious i guess to the extent of these things being embedded.

You can start to catch these things earlier and earlier with practice. With the recommended reading you begin to add context too, so no only do you get bigger and bigger glimpses of how mechanical you are, how little you know and how much you believe about yourself and the world is a lie - but with the added context of the psychological understanding, you can be more accepting/understanding of these things and not turn them into a stick to beat yourself with.

Quite a lot of people have been taught that 'self discipline' equates to beating yourself with a mental stick and putting yourself down, so this can be a big step too.

This goes hand in hand with diet and health. In order to become the most effective transducing unit we must clean our machine, eat well, don't scramble the signal with drugs/alcohol, rid ourselves of bad habits that are a waste of energy.
I guess meditation helps to build willpower as well so the more we do it the better we are at focusing and we are more likely to put our energies into reading, exercising and contributing to SOTT and other projects.
As Laura said above, building our psychic muscle.

If I remember correctly the C's said EE works best if it goes hand in hand with continued knowledge input. So working on SoTT, paying attention to the world and learning about your own machine should all be done along side I think.