Gap between thoughts

[James S]

I would say thought is the sounds, voices, words & images that seem ever-present in our minds.  What I find with emotion is it is more a feeling which spawns thoughts. Some years ago I found out I'm an Empath. This basic form of telepathy only really seems to work when my mind is very quiet. Then I recieve the feelings of others, but it doesn't come as thoughts.

Does that help?

From learning & practicing meditation I'd say the importance of the gap in thought is being able to completely still your mind - no stray thoughts, something I find VERY HARD!!! I believe this gap is the time when your mind is best able to be put into "reciever" mode.

James S
(Fate amenable to change)

[lucid dancer]

That's an interesting question.  Most people might think that thoughts are mearly consisted of audio and imagination.   I would add the other senses too.  Anything that keeps the mind occupied is considered to be a thought.  The gaps are the times when you mentally space out, even though you may be physically busy.  It's important to take a little time out and define this. It's such a fine line dividing the two!

[ralphm]

i thought RB had a good explanation in AD when he was talking about thoughts and the 'pressure ' of thoughts forming. I think the goal is awareness- watching thoughts form and dissolve, feeling our emotions, rather than spacing out staring at the wall.

[jilola]

Ralphm: You've got a point there. If we blank our surface minds to the point of not registering anything then how are we supposed to register the possible OBE? I think the point of stilling the surface miond is not stopping things from happening but rather to let things happen without ACTIVELY encouraging thought.

2cents

jouni

[Tom]

The method in Astral Dynamics was to stop the words from coming. Does feeling and being aware of clothing count as a thought? A surface to recline or sit on? Does hearing a sound and being aware of it count? What is a thought?

[James S]

An almost existensial question that, but maybey I gan give one fairly simple answer (I won't say the right answer, just an answer).

When I started to become more well aquainted with my spirit guide, he gave me a lesson to help open up my mind and become a lot more aware of my surroundings.

I was walking around a small wetlands lake just near home. My guide told me this -" look all around you, hear the sounds around you, feel the breeze, smell the wind. Do this, but don't comment on it in your mind. keep your mind silent, and just listen".

For me after just a few minutes this really raised my awareness. It was a wonderfull feeling. I equate thought in this sense not as the "I think therefore I am" state of conciousness, or "thought processes" as in neurons firing signals around the brain, but in the act of having thoughts. I refer to it as like having a mental narrative or commentary running through your head complete with slide show.

My guide was teaching me to switch that running commentary off so I could just take in what was around me through all my senses, and not "think" about it.

Don't think, just feel. Maybey this is the "gap"your looking for?

This idea is similar to what RB speaks of in Astral Dynamics, and Paul Wilson in his Completely Calm books. My spirit guide just gave me a different practical approach because he knows I really suck at trying to just sit and quieten my mind.


James S
(Fate amenable to change)

[jilola]

James S: I agree with you. It's not that we're supposed to totaltty blank out. What you said about not commenting on our sensory input sums it up nicely.

jouni

[Tom]

In several sources the gaps between thoughts are praised as being extremely valuable. What this leads me to when I try to find it is uncertainty about what exactly counts as a thought. Does it have to have words to count as a thought instead of an emotion? Does an emotion count as a thought? Does awareness of aphysical sensation count? In order to look for a gap between thoughts, I need to define thoughts clearly.