Super hyperactive Mind

Panthau · May 27th, 2010, 09:04

Hi,

I hate to do this, but i have another thing to ask.

My mind gets crazy when i get still, and i can just watch it, its so overwhelming. Everytime i get into stillness, or decide to take a step back and quiet my mind a little, my mind gets crazy and trys desperatly to grab anything which is in range. And than its addicted to it, until im that overwhelmed with it, that i get into stillness again.

Funny game, isnt it? I just dont know if i should just let it happen, or if theres a possibility to overcome this. Does my mind protects something? Or is it just afraid? Has anyone ever experienced this?

Thanks again,
Pan

Edwin · May 27th, 2010, 11:24

Originally Posted by Panthau

Everytime i get into stillness, or decide to take a step back and quiet my mind a little, my mind gets crazy and trys desperatly to grab anything which is in range.

This makes perfect sense.
If you try to quiet your mind, your mind will come back with a vengeance. You shouldn't try to quiet your mind, and you know that. I don't even have to explain why to you, but because not everybody might know this, I will say it anyway:

All you have to do is return to your mantra. The mind will be noisy, it's what it does. That will end by itself as long as you will continue to return to your mantra.

Panthau · May 27th, 2010, 13:35

Haha ok maybe i have to use some sort of reminders everywhere i go "repeat your mantra". Though i tried that, but its a bit hard to stick to the mantra the whole day.

Edwin · May 27th, 2010, 14:46

Originally Posted by Panthau

Haha ok maybe i have to use some sort of reminders everywhere i go "repeat your mantra". Though i tried that, but its a bit hard to stick to the mantra the whole day.

Ah whoops, I may have misunderstood you there.

I thought you meant while meditating.

But in a sense, there is not that much difference, you might want to change the technique a bit tho.
Mantra works best while meditating, watching the breath, and feeling your body works better when in daily life. It's more like shifting focus from thoughts to the functions of your body in a way.

Panthau · May 27th, 2010, 16:50

Alright, i thought that you may have misunderstood it.

But maybe its a good idea, to repeat the mantra when my mind wants to get addicted to something. Thats really overwhelming for me atm, i cant resist these addictions. And the more im still within, the more i get addicted to something afterwards.
Im translating the AYP site atm, and im doing it for hours and hours (at least thats useful for others *gg*), and feel bad afterwards because i overwhelmed myself with it. A few days later i calm down somehow, get into this piece of stillness again, with all its beauty... bliss and totaly clear mind. And then the game begins again. I feel like a manic-depressive...

Edwin · May 27th, 2010, 16:55

Maybe it helps you to contemplate that all comes from your mind:
Your busy thoughts, your tendency to "get lost" in them, your feeling overwhelmed, the thought that you can't resist these addictions, feeling bad afterwords...

All this is created by your mind, then critizised by your mind... And you are the one watching it all happen. Busy mind, so what ? No busy mind, so what ? Does that add or distract anything from who you are ?

Panthau · May 27th, 2010, 17:02

Yep, thanks, i had this thought also. Its time to loosen up the identification with the mind already... it has already loosen up, but it was from the start so tight, that it takes time.

And these addictions are nothing new to me, they are there to "protect" me from my hidden emotions. And the more im "here" these times, the more the addiction sets in. In the end probably just all part of the process of letting go. Its just that the "curve" is much higher these days, since this stillness is settling in.

chris063 · May 27th, 2010, 23:28

Hi again Pan,

I too have had a lot of trouble trying to tame an overactive mind, but I have found that meditating as a whole has helped me a great deal to at least slow the stem of thoughts. As Edwin has already said, attempting to keep our minds still all the time is a seemingly impossible task, but I do think that we can remember more and more to be aware of those times when the Mind is running away with something, and just realising that it IS your Mind which is running away with itself means you have detached yourself from it, which then gives you a choice of how to 'be' next, to find some stillness, or think about something else.

I was watching Eckhart Tolle talking to Oprah a few days ago, a recording of his series of talks about his book A New Earth. They discussed this very issue, and his suggestion on how to 'disengage' the Mind and bring us back fully into the present, to where we are Now, was to simply become aware of the fact that we are breathing. Just doing this brings us into a different state of awareness, of observing, which straight away is incredibly calming and allows a space for some peace to creep in. I have also found that placing your focus on the feeling of your body works well too. I think the trickiest part is actually realising when your Mind is off on a tangent to start with!!!

Chris

vincentscotto08 · May 28th, 2010, 00:10

continue your meditation with the intention that you will not give up weather your mind is crazy or not ,eventually there will be breakthrough as you have a intelligent ;loving powerful universe that has seen your sucess.just keep on keepin on amen.you are just in a beginning stage and things can seem difficult.Vincent GOD BLESS.

olmate · May 28th, 2010, 01:00

Hi Pan,

In the heat of intense battle on the streets of crazytown, I have found that posing the question - "what am I noticing?" usually helps bring me back.

Then I like to take 30 or more seconds to just notice. It could be a breeze through the leaves of a nearby tree, a cloud passing by, an ant... anything really.

Nothing but the best...

Olmate