How To Know If Behaviour Is Mechanical?

[Anirban657]

How to know if behavior is mechanical?

How do you turn towards conscious behaviors?

 

[Erlend K]

About 95%of behaviour is mechanical. We are only consiously aware of why we perform about 5% of our actions. This has been independently verified by two large, metastudies going through the literature on the topic. Whenever you perform an action you can just assume that it is most likely mechanical. 

[nick96]

@Anirban657

Almost all behaviour is automatic. You can know it by simply noticing it: when you find yourself doing something you did not consciously think about doing, then it is mechanical.

Automatic behaviours that lead you to unhappiness are usually there as a cover for a negative emotion you suppressed when you were a child. At that time they were useful behaviours for you, now not any more. You can get rid of those behaviours by developing body awareness and noticing when an unpleasant sensation arises in your body and being conscious that it is just a sensation and not you. 

You turn toward conscious behavior by practicing observing thoughts and emotions and distinguishing between reality and thought. Counterintuitively, control on the self comes from self observation.

I recommend reading a book called "the power of now" written by Eckhart Tolle to get better understanding.

[Visitor]

On 8/14/2017 at 1:10 PM, Anirban657 said:

1) How to know if behavior is mechanical?

2) How do you turn towards conscious behaviors?

1) It's easy and goes with the grain.

2) It's challenging and you have to go against the grain.

[Max_V]

You simply have to become conscious of the fact that certain thing are happening automaticly

For example:

You are walking down the street to buy something. Notice, your legs are moving automaticly, your arms are waving with them automaticly, you are automaticly engaged into thinking as you walk.

Stuff like that.

When you become conscious that you do this, you can start to do everything with mindfulness. I've been working at this hard myself lately, and now I can finally say that if you do this, you will be able to enjoy every moment that normally seems dull to you. 

Love is everywhere

[ajasatya]

@Anirban657 mindfulness retreats like sesshins or vipassana. you have to train yourself to be present. it can't just be done in one go.