Concrete practical advice on meditation needed.

[Vynce]

Over the last year's I had mediocre results from meditating quite frequently. Maybe it's because I compare it to psychedelics. However, I really want to try the "sober" route for now. 

The major problem that keeps my consciousness from getting brighter is that I absolutely like thinking. Sometimes a random thought comes up and appears just as interesting as a good movie or game. I don't want to quit a movie or a game, when it's getting exciting. And every time I release that thought and focus on breathing again, I feel like I missed out on something, which could have developed my psyche. Following that thought can occupy almost my whole meditation session. 

So how do you guys, handle such "addictive" thoughts? 

[Matt23]

16 minutes ago, Vynce said:

I don't want to quit

Have you answered your question here?

  I suspect that if you actually did want to let those thoughts go you would. Since you can. Even if you didn't have the desire to drop them, you can still consciously or willfully do it.  How?  But just letting them go.  The same way you drop a tennis ball from your hand; you just let go.  Simple.  Easy.  No fancy techniques. 

It seems like you already know what your "issue" is ...

20 minutes ago, Vynce said:

The major problem that keeps my consciousness from getting brighter is that I absolutely like thinking

How do you stop eating the ice cream you crave?  You don't eat it, you don't let the feelings of craving guide your behavior.  

How do you stop watching YouTube videos that you really like?  You don't watch them, despite the urge to watch.

How do you stop clinging onto thoughts and propagating them?  You don't cling to them.  You don't continue to create and "feed" them.

Or I suppose a more "soft" route would be to just allow yourself to think whatever thoughts come, even indulge in thinking, yet do so mindfully; watching every thought, and better yet, every feeling-impulse driving you to think.  And even better yet, bringing your awareness to the feeling (probably negative or painful in nature) that's compelling you to think addictively.

But also don't punish yourself too hard.  Balance the hard and the soft.  Sometimes it might be good to just have a journal nearby to write the thoughts down that you enjoy thinking (or just think without writing).  Then, when you've had enough (perhaps set a time limit on how long you're going to allow yourself to think during your meditation, or number of times you'll allow yourself to think) just go back to meditating.  

You can also use your thoughts as an object of meditation.  This could be like using your weakness as a strength; use the thing you're addicted to as your object of meditation.  

[allislove]

@Vynce

Try to meditate right after waking up in the morning - when there is less thought activity. What's the duration of the meditation practice? I'd aim for 1 hour daily. Meditation is about dropping expectations - don't expect the miracle - miracle is right here.

[caspex]

try meditating after waking up. Turn on a fan or go hear the birds chirp. Keep your attention on that noise, keep bringing it back onto it. Whenever you feel like "Aw shit here we go again, that's another interest af thought", tell yourself these magic words "Just don't do it" and just don't indulge in the thought. Focus back onto the noise. Let the exterior enter through your ears and dissolve your interior. Try to occupy your hearing with outside noises, instead of the inner voice. 

If your thinking mostly occupies your ears(sound) then open up your ears to all the sounds outside and let it all inside your head through your ears, don't let your inner thoughts occupy any of that sound space. 

If your thinking also mostly occupies the visuals, open up your eyes, and let all the visuals flood into your head through your eyes. Don't let the visual thought take any space.

 

Doing this, you may have an experience of total silence and peace. hold onto that and try to be in that again and again for as long as you can. 

Edited August 5, 2021 by Swarnim

[Vynce]

@allislove @Swarnim 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes before sleeping. Although the evening sitting turns into sleeping quite frequently. 

I had some better results with eyes open and looking at my hand, because my thoughts are very visual. Probably has something to do with the constant visual media consumption. 

Dropping expectations is a big one. After reading about and listening to God consciousness reports and enlightment stories the spiritual ego wants to make this enlightment stuff it's bitch. Hard to get around that. 

 

[gettoefl]

got to get to the point where in wim hof's words

you get high on your own supply

our source has to be what is our priority and our ecstasy not the weak sauce the dream world delivers 

you are the miracle the wonder the crown jewels the pinnacle not something else

the thinking state of dividing up the whole is a piss poor substitute for the unblemished awareness state 

Edited August 5, 2021 by gettoefl

[Thought Art]

It might be useful to try guided meditations like Headspace because it's really a skill that needs to be developed. I find having time each day for meditating, and a different timer set for journaling helps me work both of those aspects. The awareness and the thinking are both important for me.

Journaling might help because it lets you run through and process, and perhaps exhaust your thinking. Just get it out you know? Make a list, write a few pages and then or before, meditate.

Edited August 5, 2021 by Thought Art

[Kykeon]

But who  likes thinking exactly? Is that not just another thought? 

An addict will justify that they enjoy their addiction to remain in denial that they need to change.  All the while the addiction carries on bringing great suffering and turmoil to their life that the cannot recognize because they continue to believe in the thoughts that support their denial.

If you are unfamiliar with self-inquiry as a way of addressing what I understand to be your problem, let me know and I’ll see if I can help out!

[The0Self]

SIMPLY:

Hold the intention to: emit appreciative joy whenever you realize your attention is on something other than the meditation object, and then gently and firmly place attention back on the object. That's it. It means exactly what it says. You can get addicted to thoughts later, after you've accessed super-mind -- you will get closer by following the bolded words in this post until your attention is effortlessly rock-steady on the object. Then your mind becomes extremely powerful.

[Gianna]

Maybe try a focusing meditation– like focusing on an object, your reflection in the mirror, or, you can try an allowing meditation practice. Here's one you can check out: 

 

[Surfingthewave]

@Vynce

What do you mean when you describe " my psyche?" 

Let thoughts do their thang. Laugh at them, be curious by them, watch them. The key is thoughts come and go - like addiction you got to ride the trigger - and suddenly you are no longer addicted. 

Try a retreat (see it like rehab). Intensify your practice and see what happens. 

 

Edited August 5, 2021 by Surfingthewave