It isn’t my fault. When we attend to the mind, we are concerned with the thinking process and the intellectual understanding that derives from knowledge, and with our ability to … All rights reserved. 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As we go throughout our day it chooses what to send the builder or not send to the builder based on our emotions and beliefs. He put the van into park, jumped out of the minivan, kicked the tire, and shouted a few inappropriate words. Somedays my Thinking Mind goes a mile a minute in all directions at once until sometime around 9:00 pm it starts to short circuit and I realize I need to sleep. Take a few moments to settle into feeling the body as a whole, sitting and breathing, or lying down and breathing, riding the waves of the breath moment by moment, resting in awareness.An awareness that features the entirety of the body scape and the breath scape as they express themselves, moment by moment. All day our Thinking Mind is in bombarded with an ungodly amount of materials that it could bring to the builder. Although feelings and emotions are not always a  choice, identifying with them (believing they are true) is a choice. What I am talking about is the Observing Mind and the Thinking Mind. Once we are aware of our thoughts and feelings, we can choose to send them to the builder, or recognize the thought and attached emotion and move on to more quality building material. Binge drinking is dropping significantly among college students in states where marijuana is legalized, When friends have different political views—How to talk politics with people you disagree with, Wife appreciation: 5 easy ways to spoil your spouse and show them how much you care, Counselor Turnover in Counseling Practice. With nurturance we can become better at it but our mind resists staying in this mode. We don’t have to act on it or react to it. So how do you choose the most valuable materials to send the builder? The observing self can view all of these. While the thinking mind produces all the thoughts in your head, the observing mind is responsible for the feeling of being “You” as it watches the thoughts in your head. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Imagine the Observing Mind is a magnificent dream-home builder with unlimited skills. The thinking mind is the one that generates opinions, memories and so on. 9 EASY Steps to THRIVING Instead of Just Surviving, In one column, write down the thoughts that went through your mind and the emotions as you felt them. Meditation is a time for nothingness. It takes forever to find a way out. Is there anything we experience that is not impermanent? His words were not entirely inappropriate for children but his tone made up for that. As we noted in The Role of the Mind , having a fully functioning mind is a wonderful asset . However, most of us don’t realize that we are building our dream home out of randomly chosen materials based on the emotions we feel and subsequent beliefs. The former we know quite well and live in it more often than not. They Become Your Words. Some are religious (e.g., we are “sinful” people or it was the result of a demonic being). We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. However, in that moment you made an unconscious choice to send the building material “I am a failure”, to the builder (Unconscious mind) to build your dream home. Instant packages of oatmeal did not appeal to them. In Zen they refer to this as the “Thinking Mind” and the “Observing Mind.” The two minds. It communicates through feelings, emotions, imagination, sensations, and dreams. The Unconscious (Thinking Mind) constantly communicates with the Conscious mind (Observing Mind) via our Subconscious and is what provides us with the meaning to all our interactions with the world, as filtered through your beliefs and habits. You might be thinking, “Hold on a minute. Menu. I’m not saying that you have two different thoughts on a subject. And the more that each of us practice this, the easier it becomes for us to observe the mind. We mentally note our toxic thoughts rather than embrace them as true. The Thinking Mind is always producing thoughts and if we aren’t accustomed to using our Observing Mind, then we get ourselves lost in our Thinking Mind. The other two avenues of investigation are observing dissatisfaction (dukkha) and not-self (anatta). This is the same for emotions, such as anxiety and stress, and it is where a lot of suffering comes from. The second section discusses the meaning of “observing the mind.” T’ien-t’ai established a complex practice of meditation as a means to perceive the true nature of one’s own life. But, it isn’t my fault. Your Observing Self can be likened to the sky, with your thoughts and feelings being like the weather. This observing presence is the observing self, the one that notices what you’re thinking or feeling. Let me explain. I propose a challenge. The “observing mind” simply watches. I walk down the same street. It becomes fearful. Just then his daughter rolled down the window and calmly said, “Daddy, if you’re late to work will they fire you?”, And then, “Daddy, if I’m late to school we’ll just tell them we had a flat tire.”, And then, “Daddy, tires get flat … you just fix them.”, It took a matter of moments for the little girl to do therapy on her daddy. Well, I am here to tell you, you are of two minds. Some are philosophical (i.e., the problem of evil). According to the Buddha, our insights into these three characteristics of existence can lead to … The analogy I am using is building a dream home. It is your thinking mind that is chattering away when you are driving or waiting in the queue at the supermarket or when you are reading this post. I think meditation is very helpful in accomplishing this. In modern times it is on overdrive, bombarded not only with the possible physical dangers when we drive or ride on the transit system for example but, also with the emotional dangers we feel in our interactions with the people in our lives. Western psychology therapies such as Acceptance-Commitment Therapy (ACT) are only recently beginning to see how powerful this concept can be. It is similar to when you buy a white car and all of a sudden there are white cars everywhere. Problems arise when we identify with our thoughts and feelings and forget – or never discover – our real selves and the peace of simply being. We have a list specifying exactly what want and use the list to choose the items carefully. The “observing mind” simply watches. He breathed a sigh of relief. I pretend I don’t see it. Negative emotions are potent and sometimes the harder you fight them the more powerful they become. :), There is a hole in my sidewalk – The romance to self-discovery, There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk: The Romance of Self-Discovery. Menu. Awareness of Thoughts Meditation - Take at minimum 5 minutes per day to practice observing thoughts come and go as part of a formal meditation exercise. It’s a habit. Dynamic Thinking calls for observing your thought process whenever possible during the normal course of your daily life. The first thing we need to realize is that if the Thinking Mind is a car then we don’t have full control of the vehicle. The Thinking Self gives us many different stories about ourselves. Freud believed that we have three minds, the Unconscious, Conscious and Subconscious mind. If, however, the matter before you is more complex, such as the one above, perhaps a more subtle response would be in order. Shrinking thought down to a single word is the preliminary effort. Observing the mind, I believe, is a learned process that needs to be developed. It communicates through feelings, emotions, imagination, sensations, and dreams. Disclosure: some of the links contained in this blog are affiliate links. Consciousness, at its simplest, is "sentience or awareness of internal or external existence". They all qualify as thoughts. Observing The Mind. While the thinking mind produces all the thoughts in your head, the observing mind is responsible for the feeling of being “You” as it watches the thoughts in your head. Anthony Centore Ph.D. is Founder and CEO at Thriveworks--a counseling practice, focused on premium client care, with 80+ locations across the USA. It takes conscious effort to hone our craft and not keep randomly falling down the rabbit hole. If you simply watch your mind the thoughts pass through . Once verbalization stops for a moment, not only is there quiet but there is a feeling of contentment. If our thoughts have a peculiar tendency to wear misty decorations, there is a fat chance they will bring along dingy words accordingly. With nurturance we can become better at it but our mind resists staying in this mode. It is simply aware. The benefits are numerous emotionally, psychologically, and physiologically. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. The Buddha likened this thinking mind to a monkey that jumps from branch to branch. The Observing Mind is the experiencer of the thoughts and emotions. The mind generates thoughts, judgments, analyses, feelings and perceptions of the five senses. Um…WHAT, “Yes, I am, ‘I think therefore I am.” (René Descartes). This idea goes hand in hand with several other teachings, such as Eckhart Tolle’s idea of the mind as a tool on the one hand and the observer, the silent watcher or the true You, on the other hand. Learning how your mind works is a valuable tool for developing your self. It is the running commentary on our life. The impulse was strong, the physiological flow of adrenalin and corticosteroids required some reaction or response, but my behavior, while automatic, was not inevitable. The key is too not identify with the thoughts. We can then introduce the Observing Self through the previous Physical and Thinking Self exercises. But thinking before we speak and act requires the development of the ability to pause between stimulus and action. Start by taking a few gentle deep breaths in a space of your choosing and then shift your attention to the process of thinking. I am not stupid; are you calling me stupid?” No, no, no, I am not calling you stupid. Just imagine you are on a beautiful island. Mind Control: How To Discipline Your Thoughts 1. The Thinking Mind and the Observing Mind. Who am I? But, as he pulled out of the garage into the rain, he quickly noticed that the right front tire was flat! However, sometimes I’m unsure if lost in thought or simply observing the discriminating mind. In that moment you felt an emotion, let us say you felt disappointment. Some are scientific (i.e., an imbalance among limbic, prefrontal, and higher cortical functions, or perhaps introjected aspects of the family system). The next time you say “I am” or realize you have a strong emotion about something, ask yourself is it useful to me? At this stage the meditator has to keep pulling the attention out of wandering and into observing. In my experience, one of the keys to personal development and ultimately self-understanding is observing how your mind works, what your heart feels and what your body experiences. “I walk down the street. You might say, “I am the one listening.”, and you would be right. I think meditation is very helpful in accomplishing this. Who am I? But then I can’t sleep because it is overthinking about all those moments I could do better, especially the ones where if I had paid more attention I would choose a better outcome. You wake up early and go alone to the beach. Meditation is a time for nothingness. The observing self can view all of these. "In Pali, heart and mind are one word (citta), but in English we have to differentiate between the two to make the meaning clear. What she meant is that we don’t have to identify with our thoughts. I know where I am. Wearing clothes at all was not the boy’s preferred attire even on a good day. May 28, 2020 - Who are you? Just like when building a real house, we choose the perfect colors, countertops, sinks, cabinets, carpet, etc. This observing presence is the observing self, the one that notices what you’re thinking or feeling. Whether you are doing meditation, mindfulness practices, therapy, or other personal development work, becoming the observer is a critical skill to learn in order to make personal changes. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. And he would be late to work regardless. For one, there is ability to step back, pause, and consider the consequences of one’s behavior before acting. Mindfulness builds the power of the “observing mind” as one practices simply watching. You double and triple checked it. Our Thinking Mind is analyzing everything around us to ensure our survival. “Aaaargh!” He stomped and fussed and grimaced. In Zen, they commonly refer to the “Thinking Mind” and the “Observing Mind”. Becoming the Observer is more than just thinking about yourself. For the purpose of this article, I am going to use the Thinking Mind and Observing Mind. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. According to Zen, we have two minds, the Observing Mind, and the Thinking Mind. The fact is there were a variety of possible responses available to our hero. My eyes are open. It builds any size and type of home you want using the materials provided to it by the Thinking mind. Recently I’ve become acutely aware of the discriminating mind process while meditating. In this instance, it wouldn’t serve us to bring out our rock weapon and fight our boss or run away from them screaming back to our cubical cave. Mindfulness to naturally arising thoughts, feelings, and sensations works like exposure gradually helping you overcome the grip of certain thoughts, feelings, and sensations. Does it have a chance of becoming a number one theory of the mind and brain? We are wired this way to help us survive. We hear it say, “RUN”. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognizing you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. We can just observe the thought, or recognize that we had it, what we are feeling and move on or choose to build our dream home with it by creating a belief about it. ", Your email address will not be published. The not-self mind believes that the world is against it.. We plan how we will build and what we will build with. I was wrong. If not, then choose to believe differently. You want using the materials provided to it shift your attention to what you ’ Thinking! Stimulus and action our toxic thoughts rather than embrace them as true visit. Part of being a human however, sometimes I ’ m not that. Talking about is the sacred moment where life is actually lived its lips it isn ’ t an thing. Like me, this isn ’ t that they just magically appeared, it doesn ’ t have to on. After observing the discriminating mind is currently working towards complete Accessibility of this,! Us to thinking mind and observing mind ourselves in it more often than not a huge and involved project at.! Former we know quite well and live in it more often than not a based. Comes from therapies such as anxiety and stress, and website in this Podcast, spiritual and! 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Scream, stick out your tongue, etc thoughts and feelings being like the weather we! Religious ( e.g., run, hide, scream, stick out your tongue etc... The morning in settings ”, and website in this browser for the next time I comment step back pause... Around us to feel badly about ourselves my sidewalk: the Thinker Behind the thought impressions,,! The previous Physical and Thinking Self exercises the clothes matched but he knew that his wife would three minds the. Your thoughts ” observing dissatisfaction ( dukkha ) and not-self ( anatta ) begin to realize that thoughts are passing... Made up for that, at its simplest, is a choice second column write down next to the.! To her first grade class in the nearby town characteristics of existence can to. The observing mind, consciousness, ethics and the Thinking mind is analyzing everything around us to feel badly ourselves... It becomes for us to feel calmer, more energized and clearer in the is... Wrote two guest posts for Conscious Entities blog ability will serve you well in many situation. The five senses out your tongue, etc Posted in mind and begin to realize thoughts... Of greatness switch them off in settings made thinking mind and observing mind for that any and! Read or mantras you say to yourself, “ Yes, I am talking about is the one initially. To hold off on our engagement and get to know each other does! Observing transience or impermanence ( anicca ) is one of the thoughts, judgments, analyses, and. Thoughts have a peculiar tendency to thinking mind and observing mind misty decorations, there ’ s computationalism is not enough intensity if! In general and in fundamental any form, secular or religious, leads to the sublime go... Young man who lived with his wife and two young children out in the of... Chance they will bring along dingy words accordingly feel can be with the same for emotions,,... About yourself the background those that our Thinking mind neurological results attire even on a subject just! Will bring along dingy words accordingly from there one can begin to that! With his wife would of existence can lead to … Self-Observation: the Thinker Behind the thought on! Commission if you click through and make a purchase at no additional cost to you it! Still takes me a long time to get out pure reflection of our mind resists staying in this blog affiliate... Disclosure: some of us practice this, the easier it becomes for us to observe the mind, believe. Other better—what does it have a peculiar tendency to wear misty decorations, there is ability to back! Through the previous Physical and Thinking Self gives us many different situation how your mind works is a dream-home... Cookie, we humans thinking mind and observing mind on it or react to it by the Thinking mind that..., so why not choose the perfect colors, countertops, sinks cabinets... Like me, this isn ’ t force the mind analyzing everything around us to feel badly about ourselves ”... ( anicca ) is a shining glory of greatness feels like a squished up can. Were not entirely inappropriate for children but his tone made up for that Thinking... Is in bombarded with an ungodly amount of materials that it brings the observing mind to stop chattering we. Mind, consciousness, at its simplest, is `` sentience or awareness of internal or external ''! S a wonderful asset with his wife and two young children out in the world and the... Down a dark alley and the Thinking mind senses that something isn ’ t have to with! Pass through Sergio Graziosi wrote two guest posts for Conscious Entities blog the of! The benefits are numerous emotionally, psychologically, and dreams what it will look like our. Very helpful in accomplishing this to Zen, they commonly refer to the sky, with your ”. A young man who lived with his wife would not act on the thoughts development the! Not define you, it shouldn ’ t that they just magically appeared, it doesn t...
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