Are Thoughts and Feelings fully within our control, or are they largely outside of our control?
2007-05-31 10:44:04 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It begins with belief. Then feelings/emotions; belief is basically very strong thought. You form your own reality (as you know it) based on your beliefs, emotions, and expectations. Rather than think in terms of "control", think in terms of release, because you are literally making the world that you know, forming everything around you. This you (we) do freely, with open hands (release), not clenched fists (control).
If you would learn to not analyse so much, and just be, you would soon find your answers coming as if on their own.
You are blessed by who/what you are, not damned nor controlled by it. You are free. You are an expression of perfect love.
2007-06-01 01:57:51 · answer #1 · answered by Sky in the Grass 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Our feelings are a result of our subconscious concepts. These can be stimulated by a number of different sources including our thoughts. For example feelings can be triggered by any of the senses, as smell, taste, sight( as seeing a dead body) etc. We can change our concepts so we respond differently thus having different feelings or emotions from a similar stimilus that we've had in the past, but this requires much effort and knowledge. Think about how emergency personell are retrained to stay "cool" in emergency situations.
Our thought can be controlled and directed also, but this also requires much more than a casual effort. The answer to your question is ultimately, yes they can be controlled. But not without discipline, knowledge and time.
2007-05-31 12:14:33 · answer #2 · answered by stedyedy 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
That is a very deep question and a good one. Gonna try to put this short, clear and as simple as possible. I feel that thoughts and feelings cannot always be controlled. However, actin on your thoughts and/or feelings can surely be. Some people tho, have a problem doing it because of maturity or just their enviornment.
When it comes to thoughts you can block them out. feelings are gonna come thats a part of life and like i stated earlier, its how you act on those factors that really count. hope this helps out on what you already know.
2007-05-31 11:17:42 · answer #3 · answered by Xspensive 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Most of us start out each life being conditioned as 'subjects' in an 'objective' world. It seems that all experience comes to us from some external source, life 'happens' to us. Of course, within this, we are 'acting', and instigating, causing experience to ourselves and others, which merely serves to 'confirm' our conditioned responses.
As we progress, many of us see a different perspective arising, and we begin to notice that there is not actually a single, external, imposed 'reality', but rather that we have the basis of experience all around us, all of the time, and we actually can choose how we 'feel' about events.
For my part I went through a long period of playing with this concept, of seeing a set of circumatnces and actually trying out different ways to act, or even re-act.
This can be very useful in de-activating the conditioned responses, and starting anew, with the knowledge that all experience can be viewed in whichever way we choose.
As the Dalai Lama wrote in his beautiful book, 'The Art of Happiness', nothing is going to 'make' us happy, no event, or 'thing' coming to us will produce 'happiness', it is a state of mind, and we can choose to be happy regardless of the prevailing circumstances.
I believe that once this is mastered, then taking the next step to active 'creation' of those circumstances is very much smoother to accomplish.
Eventually I believe the 'Truth' is that nothing is outside of our control, with regard to our own individuated experience, that is.
2007-05-31 13:26:10 · answer #4 · answered by cosmicvoyager 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Depends on what you mean by control, really.
It is possible to deny or suppress thoughts and emotions. Such people are diminished, it seems to me. And they eventually tend to go 'pop' or to become rigidly hard and even cruel.
Or you can just be a prey to your feelings, "Blown here and there by forces that you cannot control or even comprehend". (R.D. Laing)
I suppose the middle way is to observe thoughts and emotions as they arise, but not to get caught up in them.
Another quote from HH the Dalai Lama. "Yes, sometimes I get angry, but I come back so quickly that you don't see it."
My litany. . .Just notice. Notice how it feels, that emotion. And let it pass.
Jon C
2007-05-31 20:44:12 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
There is a gradual progression in life from being completely out of our control, to them becoming fully under our control. Most of us lie somewhere in between.
2007-05-31 19:37:10 · answer #6 · answered by MumOf5 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
My thoughts and feelings come from inside and I have a choice I can control them or they can control me......How I act upon my thoughts and feelings is up to me. I pray and meditate in hopes of making the right decisions.
Peace be with you.
2007-06-01 01:39:37 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Within ( a persons control ).
.
2007-05-31 12:04:21 · answer #8 · answered by onelight 5 · 7⤊ 0⤋
depends on the person and their level of development
a master is a master because she can control her thoughts, while most people are controled by their thoughts, which are programmed by other minds.
i believe that feelings are the language of the soul- and not controlled by us (our minds) entirely...feelings happen to us- feelings speak to us, but if a person isn't a "feeling" person, it's because they have blocks, or aren't in touch with the soul and living entirely from the mind
it's late here...did that make sense?
2007-05-31 19:00:59 · answer #9 · answered by zentrinity 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I believe they are most definitely within our control, but we must work to train the mind not to run rampant and to look at the "big picture" and stay detached from certain feelings. That is. not to wish for or against anything, as it is all experience and comes to you for a reason. (Much like "thy will, not mine".)
It takes much practice and discipline, but it can definitely be done.
2007-05-31 12:56:34 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋