Quieting the mind. Not easy!

[AstralCody]

Oh man is it tough... I have been practicing this for two days now for an hour or more. No matter how hard I try thoughts keep racing or coming in. It's crazy to think how chatty our brains are! I notice though I can still have thoughts in my head but as long as I remain awake on a spiritual level I can usually hit paralysis, or at least get close to paralysis. Meditation is going to take a lot of work for me! My therapist does reiki on me and she says I have a very very chatty head. Can't stop those thoughts! It's interesting like I said though... Even if I do have thoughts it's uaully projection related and I am just starring into the blackness in front of me waiting to see something. Been hearing a lot of astral noise lately...

I will also be so relaxed if I take a deep breath my whole body feels numb. I get super relaxed. So it's got to be good for stress.

I will keep practicing though! How long did it take you guys to quiet your thoughts?

[Lionheart]

Why do you need to quiet your thoughts?

They are there for a reason.

Try to watch them, but don't engage them.

You can't fight them, you need to find "PEACE" with them!   

[Szaxx]

I posted this a while ago. After reading the posts above, I thought it may help to understand a quiet mind while still physical.

' I was phasing, messing around creating sounds and then waiting for them to manifest. Still physically aware but only just. It was exactly the same action as watching lightning then waiting for the thunder. This is another one of those things that helped me learn to do concious exits on demand years back.'

The  waiting, a quietened mind. It's the time from the flash till the sound appears, an expectation, just waiting.
If you can do this by allowing the first thought to be the thunder, you immediately do the same again using your best ability to also stop the thought as if it was another flash. Waiting for the next...
This will train you to go for mins at a time with no thoughts.
A quietened mind is achievable for everyone.

[Lionheart]

Reading your post just now Szaxx, reminded me of something a member of this site posted before.

That to quiet your mind, ask yourself what your next thought is going to be, then await it.

For some reason I found this actually works very good. I think it's playing some kind of mind game, with your self, but many people have had success with it.

[Xanth]

Everyone hears about meditation and hears that you MUST QUIET YOUR MIND!!!!  OR ELSE YOU'RE NOT DOING IT RIGHT!!! 

Meditation isn't about quieting the mind.  It's never been about that.

Yes, you can ATTEMPT to quiet the mind... but then you're using a manipulative force in order to do so... and when is manipulating anything into doing what it doesn't want to do ever been a good thing?

Simply realize the truth... you are the awareness being aware of the thoughts being passed by it.  Then simply let that event take place, non-judgmentally.  That is meditation.

Eventually you'll also realize another truth about meditation... that meditation isn't an act you do, it's not something you put 10, 20, or 60 minutes aside per day to do.  That's blasphemy.
Meditation isn't something you do, it's a state of consciousness you exist in, at all times.

So by all means, don't ever quiet your mind... quiet yourself, and listen to your mind.

[LightBeam]

I totally agree with my fellow moderators. If you try to completely empty your mind while you are physically awake, you will only torture yourself and maybe achieve few seconds here and there of absolutely no thoughts. But even if you do, you will probably fall asleep, or achieve nothing by doing so. Your thoughts are present at any time, even when we are asleep, they are active in the astral environment and produce the dreams as we know them. In fact they are active at all time and exist in all levels where your spirit exists because they are a part of your very essence. I never try to quiet my mind during meditation, but I try to relax my body and bring my thoughts to a state of a deep pleasant slow motion.
If you want to achieve something like SP, then you can try a relaxation meditation. I for example start thinking that each group of my muscles deeply relax, by focusing my attention on them starting from the tip of my toes and move slowly to the top of my head. By that time you wont even feel your physical body anymore. Then it depends on your goal, you can start some healing concentration, or simply create a pleasant environment and imagine yourself there. I like to imagine that I am laying in a hammock by a beach. I  imagine that I am swaying from side to side, listening to the waves, feeling the sea air on my skin. By doing that you will most likely provoke later when you are actually asleep either vibrations, or LD awareness. So, give it a try. Use your thoughts to experience something pleasant and rejuvenating.

[phaseshiftR1111]

Thank you all for the wonderful replies! I been trying to not have a single thought at all... That's how a lot of tutorials have explained it. You know what it reminds me of is when we are driving a car and we get to our destination usually by not even thinking about it. A stoplight turns red and I stop... But I don't even realize the light turned red. I just do it. When I drive I am usually deep in thought.

[LightBeam]

When I drive I am usually deep in thought.

You said it yourself, "deep in THOUGHT", not absent of thought. You were not thinking about the driving, but thinking about something else, and that "something" is whatever you choose to think during meditation. The point is to focus on one single goal (line of thoughts) with great intention in order to achieve results.

[phaseshiftR1111]

You said it yourself, "deep in THOUGHT", not absent of thought. You were not thinking about the driving, but thinking about something else, and that "something" is whatever you choose to think during meditation. The point is to focus on one single goal (line of thoughts) with great intention in order to achieve results.

Thank you lightbeam. =D

It's Astralcody btw! I had a name change.

[LightBeam]

It's Astralcody btw! I had a name change.

Oh, it's nice to talk to you again, Astralcody 

[phaseshiftR1111]

You too. =D

I been having dry spells on OBE's like crazy.. I'm getting back in the swing of things though. I am learning stress will alter your OBE's. It is weird though... If your body undergoes a lot of stress they can happen pretty fast... But if it's minor stress or anxiety... Living your life in fear... it's pretty impossible to get out. I'm glad to be back here too I always learn a lot here. 3 years of doing this... Still learning!

[Xanth]

"Can't see the forest for the trees"

That's the saying that comes to mind when most people attempt or read about meditation.

It's probably the most simplest act you will ever do in your life... everyone tries to make it this overly complicated thing.  lol

[phaseshiftR1111]

"Can't see the forest for the trees"

That's the saying that comes to mind when most people attempt or read about meditation.

It's probably the most simplest act you will ever do in your life... everyone tries to make it this overly complicated thing.  lol

Xanth that's the truth. Society tends to over complicate pretty much anything now a days. 

[steveo233]

From my experience it's not even really necessary to block out your thoughts when meditating. Just slowly drift into the depths of your mind. The trick is doing whatever is easiest, if you try to hard your just gonna get yourself worked up and you'll never be able to relax.

[Szaxx]

Simply realize the truth..
Meditation isn't something you do, it's a state of consciousness you exist in, at all times.

This sounds like thoughtfulness.
If we all exercised this daily the world would be a far nicer place.

The quietened mind still thinks as I understand it, but its not full on like analysing some algebraic equasion.
A thought free mind...
Is it really achievable?
  Maybe a topic on what meditation actually is would benefit all if written in an understandable format.
Perhaps sticky it too so its easily found.
Xanth has some good points and they are clearly understood.
Thoughts?

[Lionheart]

 The mind does find quietness, once you exclude thoughts of the past and future. Leave yesterday behind, and take on the future when it comes.

Once you are in the "here and now", you can finally bask in the "peace and quiet"!

Edit: Oh, I needed to add to this. I just saw that Lightbeam had created a helpful thread explaining this "Living in the NOW" concept further.

http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/welcome_to_spiritual_evolution/how_to_live_in_the_now-t42980.0.html