What is a thought? What is it made out of? What is their purpose Where are they from?

[DrewNows]

4 hours ago, Natasha said:

@Elshaddai Thoughts are energy forms with illusory content. They come from the collective ego-mind, that's why we all think similarly and can relate to each other. The purpose is primarily for survival and evolution.

yes our brains are like radio receivers influenced by attachments, energy ties, subconscious mind/body/beliefs/trauma/habits, the frequency patterns resonate depending on these factors, the many degrees/densities (level of separation) of collective ego-mind reflect the perception and relation to the external world, experience

@Natasha merry christmas

[mandyjw]

I wouldn't trust anything thought says about what thought is. It'll probably be horribly self-biased. 

[Natasha]

5 hours ago, DrewNows said:

@Natasha merry christmas

Merry Christmas! My attempts to not overeat are failing, so I give myself permission 

[DrewNows]

@Natasha it’s a good day to eat good ? 

6 hours ago, mandyjw said:

I wouldn't trust anything thought says about what thought is. It'll probably be horribly self-biased. 

 

[hyruga]

Thoughts are really just electro-chemical reactions—but the number and complexity of these reactions make them hard to fully understand… The human brain is composed of about 100 billion nerve cells (neurons) interconnected by trillions of connections, called synapses.

[Blackhawk]

Thoughts freak me out. I don't want to think about it..

They have no substance, they come and go from nowhere. And we don't have control over them. Yet they are so powerful and rule our lives.

They are like magic..

They should freak out everyone.

Edited December 27, 2020 by Blackhawk

[Bodhitree]

On 24/12/2020 at 3:43 PM, Hulia said:

It´s a beutiful analogy and it desribes, how I perceive it. Bit it still doesn´t answer the question, where do the waves come from? Why are there waves? Why not just the ocean, flows, water?

The winds of samsara. Circumstances in the world cause events, which give rise to perceptions in our senses. These perceptions trigger thoughts, which are then in their turn perceived, which can trigger further thoughts. Thus a single world event can cause us to experience a complex train of thought, which can depend intimately on our entire personal history.

[mandyjw]

8 hours ago, Blackhawk said:

Thoughts freak me out. I don't want to think about it..

They have no substance, they come and go from nowhere. And we don't have control over them. Yet they are so powerful and rule our lives.

They are like magic..

They should freak out everyone.

Thoughts are meaningless in themselves, it's only the belief behind them that gives them any power. 

[Blackhawk]

10 minutes ago, mandyjw said:

Thoughts are meaningless in themselves, it's only the belief behind them that gives them any power. 

That's just empty words, because no one can live a life without thoughts. Your life is ruled by thoughts. Let's be real and honest.

[No Self]

8 minutes ago, Blackhawk said:

That's just empty words, because no one can live a life without thoughts. Your life is ruled by thoughts. Let's be real and honest.

Improvement of the situation is possible to some degree. Some teachings say that the personal sense of self - including story of the 'me' who is troubled by thoughts - is itself a thought. Can this be investigated?

[mandyjw]

5 minutes ago, Blackhawk said:

That's just empty words, because no one can live a life without thoughts. Your life is ruled by thoughts. Let's be real and honest.

Hear me out. When you think "I'm worthless" when you're in a deep depression it hurts, you believe it. It echoes the feeling and the feeling echoes the thought. If you remember to think the thought "I'm worthless" when you're in a fantastic mood and doing what you love, you'll be very unlikely to believe the thought at all. It's like thinking about a pink elephant. You understand the meaning of the thought "pink" and "elephant", but the belief, and therefore the feeling that goes along with it, isn't there. 

[Blackhawk]

5 minutes ago, No Self said:

Improvement of the situation is possible to some degree. Some teachings say that the personal sense of self - including story of the 'me' who is troubled by thoughts - is itself a thought. Can this be investigated?

What you said is a thought.

2 minutes ago, mandyjw said:

Hear me out. When you think "I'm worthless" when you're in a deep depression it hurts, you believe it. It echoes the feeling and the feeling echoes the thought. If you remember to think the thought "I'm worthless" when you're in a fantastic mood and doing what you love, you'll be very unlikely to believe the thought at all. It's like thinking about a pink elephant. You understand the meaning of the thought "pink" and "elephant", but the belief, and therefore the feeling that goes along with it, isn't there. 

When that happy stuff is going on you're having happy thoughts.

[No Self]

2 minutes ago, Blackhawk said:

What you said is a thought.

Yes it is, but more importantly, so is the one who is speaking.

[mandyjw]

1 minute ago, Blackhawk said:

When that happy stuff is going on you're having happy thoughts.

Why though, which follows which, the thought or the emotion? 

[Blackhawk]

13 minutes ago, No Self said:

Yes it is, but more importantly, so is the one who is speaking.

That just confirms what I'm saying. Everything is thoughts, our lives are thoughts.

No one can write a reply in this thread without thoughts.

11 minutes ago, mandyjw said:

Why though, which follows which, the thought or the emotion? 

I think the emotion is leading.

But there's something prior to emotion too: fact is prior to emotion.

For example if you get thrown into a fire. Burning in a fire= fact.

Horror= emotion.

"This is awful, I don't want to die like this." etc.= thought.

--------------------

Or 1. being completely alone and unlikable= fact.

2. Sadness and crying inside= emotion.

3. "This is hell, I don't want to live anymore."= thought.

Edited December 27, 2020 by Blackhawk

[mandyjw]

17 minutes ago, Blackhawk said:

But there's something prior to emotion too: fact is prior to emotion.

But if we're siblings and our mom gives us oranges for Christmas and I love oranges and you hate them, we have two different emotions from the same fact of having been given an orange. So your interpretation of the fact is all there is to the fact in your experience. Your interpretation of the fact is not a fact. All you have is interpretation. In your saying that fact is prior to emotion, you actually have given thought the power over emotion, when you just told me that you think emotion is leading. So you have given thought power by mistaking it for fact, when in your direct experience, fact is nothing but your interpretation, fact is nothing but thought. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 27, 2020 by mandyjw

[Blackhawk]

15 minutes ago, mandyjw said:

But if we're siblings and our mom gives us oranges for Christmas and I love oranges and you hate them, we have two different emotions from the same fact of having been given an orange. So your interpretation of the fact is all there is to the fact in your experience. Your interpretation of the fact is not a fact. All you have is interpretation. In your saying that fact is prior to emotion, you actually have given thought the power over emotion, when you just told me that you think emotion is leading. So you have given thought power by mistaking it for fact, when in your direct experience, fact is nothing but your interpretation, fact is nothing but thought. 

1. Getting oranges for Christmas= fact.

2. Liking or disliking oranges= emotions.

3. And then comes all the thoughts.

Edited December 27, 2020 by Blackhawk

[mandyjw]

Just now, Blackhawk said:

Getting oranges for Christmas= fact.

Liking or disliking oranges= emotions.

And then comes all the thoughts.

If you remove time from your equation you're left with nothin', not even facts. You got nothin' for Christmas. 

What is time in your direct experience? A thought. 

You've made thought your King, and named him Fact and he's a ruthless dictator. Overthrow that asshole. There's no substance there. When you seek his source and go to kill him, you'll find Nothing there. 

[Blackhawk]

5 minutes ago, mandyjw said:

If you remove time from your equation you're left with nothin', not even facts. You got nothin' for Christmas. 

What is time in your direct experience? A thought. 

You've made thought your King, and named him Fact and he's a ruthless dictator. Overthrow that asshole. There's no substance there. When you seek his source and go to kill him, you'll find Nothing there. 

No. What you are saying are thoughts (and beliefs).

Edited December 27, 2020 by Blackhawk

[mandyjw]

4 minutes ago, Blackhawk said:

No. What you are saying are thoughts (and beliefs).

Who says? You already pointed out that this is the only way we get to communicate, and now you're just giving your own crappy feeling thoughts and beliefs more power over mine. These thoughts and beliefs feel better than yours, and since feeling good is love and truth=love, I'm right and you're wrong, and I love you very much. I mean, it's Christmas! You got a bunch of other stuff you do like, so stop focusing on the one orange you got that you didn't want.