cause no matter how hard i'm always thinking about something. even if that something is "i'm not thinking about anything"
2007-01-18 03:43:39 · 11 answers · asked by i totally agree with you!! not 3 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
That's a very good question.
If you ever find the re-cut CD version of Alan Parsons' album "Tales of Mystery and Imagination, " you will find that it opens with a quote from Edgar Allen Poe, on whose works the album is based. Poe said this:
"I have never had a thought which I could not put down in words." He goes on, but that is the central point: All our thoughts are words, and we all have a running monologue of words in our heads which we call "thoughts."
If we are very fortunate, we can have thoughts which are not words, or even no thoughts at all, but that is not the normal state of affairs for most people. Meditation is one way to get to a point where the thoughts are not at the forefront of our conscious minds. Heavy excercise, or a physically demanding task such as juggling, can so occupy your mind that you have no time for thought.
You may have heard the expresson "he can't walk and chew gum at the same time." Maybe stupd people actually have an easier time of it: they can't think while performing simple tasks. I'm too stupid to juggle and tell jokes.
So maybe the thing you need to do is find that activity that so occupies your mind that you don't have any brainpower left over for thinking. Or else to practice meditation techniques that allow you to just plain stop the running monologue for a while. It's very relaxing. I like the beach, and waterfalls in the mountains. Those places help me switch off.
2007-01-18 04:14:52 · answer #1 · answered by Scot D 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe its like you said. Your brain is always processing. You may believe that you are thinking about nothing ... however the subcontious is uncontrollable. Repeating phrases in meditation is still thinking. Your brain is still processing a phrase. You may think that after a while this phrase comes natually and that it then becomes instinctual but even instincts are thoughts. Just because you do not envision something - you are still thinking. I think most of the respondents here (when mentioning meditation) think of it as complete calmness or peace in mind. But peace in mind is uncontrollable. The biggest issue is with vision. The next part is vision. Our brains never stop processing the information that we see. This even appies to the darkness behind our eyelids in a completly dark room. We can significantly calm the thoughts... subdue them to a single though (probably more than that) but i do not think that we can bring our thoughts to a complete void.
2007-01-18 04:17:52 · answer #2 · answered by Kermit 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it is possible but it's going to be only temporary and therefore I don't have much faith in any kind of meditation. The only way we can be free from thinking is develop an attitude that what happens that happens with or without our participation. If we stop participating mentally then there won't be no ups and downs in our mind and we will be in a state of kinda thoughtlessness.
2007-01-18 03:56:34 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Our heart and brain work continuously throughout the life without a break.... one part of the brain is all the time busy with thoughts and memories. Obviously then it is not natural to stop thinking altogether even for a few seconds. However, through meditation techniques, I understand, it is possible to concentrate on one object continuously or mentally repeat one name or word ... so that normal thinking or recalling is put to rest.
2007-01-18 03:58:54 · answer #4 · answered by small 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I saw a poster when I was a child. It said "Sometimes I just sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits". I always remembered it and I really liked it. It made so much sense. Yet, I can't "just sits". I'm glad you asked it. Thinking is "self talk", and you can feel crazy about doing it all the time...but if we are all doing it, great! Can you think too much???
2007-01-18 04:59:07 · answer #5 · answered by pineconeamanda 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think so. As a kid I used to lay in the grass and look up at the stars and try to picture nothing by "taking away" the stars, the color of the night sky, the air we breathe....etc. and could not imagine what "nothing" looked liked. Everything I tried to picture was "something" not "nothing."!!!
2007-01-18 04:51:54 · answer #6 · answered by Patricia D 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try to think of the empty space between galaxys.you'll still be thinking but you will be thinking of nothing which is kind of getting there.
2007-01-18 04:49:48 · answer #7 · answered by Anthony D 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it's possible to think that you're not thinking but not possible to actually not think.
Sorry, I just realised that's exactly what you said.
2007-01-18 04:41:21 · answer #8 · answered by ghds 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hmm...Im not sure...But i think its not possible cause when i try hard not to think i think how i should not think :D
2007-01-18 07:06:34 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
no i dont think so...i just tried to not think of anything....didnt work
2007-01-18 04:11:58 · answer #10 · answered by Meeowf 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋