Confused about OCD/Contemplation crossover.

[The White Belt]

I was diagnosed with OCD about 4 years ago.

I've managed to reign it in a lot during that time, but it's clear to me that it still remains.

I contemplate a lot, all day long pretty much, and i've just read this on an OCD web page:

"Ruminations  'Rumination' is a term often used to describe all obsessional intrusive thoughts, but this is misleading.  In the context of OCD a rumination is actually a train of prolonged thinking about a question or theme that is undirected and unproductive. Unlike obsessional thoughts, ruminations are not objectionable and are indulged rather than resisted. Many ruminations dwell on religious, philosophical, or metaphysical topics, such as the origins of the universe, life after death, the nature of morality, and so on.

One such example might be where a person dwells on the time-consuming question: 'Is everyone basically good?'.  They would ruminate on this for a long period of time, going over in their mind various considerations and arguments, and contemplating what superficially appeared to them to be compelling evidence.

Another example might be someone that ruminates about what would happen to them after death. They would weigh up the various theoretical possibilities, visualise scenes of heaven, hell, and other worlds and try to remember what philosophers and scientists have said about death.

With most ruminations it inevitably never leads to a solution or satisfactory conclusion and the person appears to be deeply pre-occupied, very thoughtful, and detached"

Now I don't know whether i've been contemplating or ruminating this whole time.

Does anybody know where there is a difference? A line between healthy or unhealthy?

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks.

x 

 

[Arman]

Rumination is cerebral. Contemplation as a spiritual practice doesn't really involve thinking. It's more of a gentle holding something in mind. It could be contemplation upon a statement/idea or it could be the softening of your attention from content to the field of consciousness or witnessing (context).  

Rumination is the impulsive seeking of the mind which takes gratification from intellectualization, taking positions on subjects and deriving emotions from the whole pursuit. 

Contemplation is more of a surrendering/yin position than a doing/yang. It's a gentle detachment that re-contextualizes your experience by it's own merit. Rumination is like trying to find a mouse by sticking your arm in a mouse-hole and bending it around all the corners to try to find something, where as contemplation is like watching the mouse-hole without expectation and for its own sake. It's like an invitational finessing of truth.

If in contemplation you feel like you're trying to gain something, or you're not quite there yet, or you're confused, then maybe you're likely ruminating. The re-contextualization that allows for the potential of transformation becomes fulfilling by itself without needing epiphanies. 

Edited July 15, 2018 by Arman