Thread: How do YOU personally clear your mind during meditation?

Does repeating something over and over actually quiet your mind? Aren't you keeping your mind from being quiet by repeating a mantra in the first place? I'm by no means an expert or even a reliable authority on anything regarding meditation, but what is the difference between thinking about not thinking, and repeating a mantra? If one wishes to truly quiet their mind, would they not simply recognize that one's mind is not quiet, and simply allow any intrusive thoughts to fade away upon this realization?

If your mind is quiet, and suddenly you start thinking about what to have for dinner, what would you do? Wouldn't thinking "stop thinking about that right now, you are meditating" be something you wouldn't want to do? It is defeating the purpose of the exercise. Likewise, wouldn't repeating a mantra be the exact same thing? It is a thought that you are actively thinking. Even if you can more or less place it on the back-burner, so to speak, wouldn't it still be classified as a thought? Again, I'm no authority on this subject. It has merely always been my understanding that the goal is to recognize what is going on, and simply let it go. Each time thoughts start taking place, you let them go the instant you realize what's happening. I don't mean to be picking on your method. I am asking a legitimate question to which I am unsure of the answer.

I'm having a week off of school and find no purpose in my free time. I really just want to use that time to learn to meditate. Hence, I'll be actively monitoring this thread and coming up with ideas really to justify for myself how I see meditation.

Originally Posted by snoop

Does repeating something over and over actually quiet your mind? Aren't you keeping your mind from being quiet by repeating a mantra in the first place? I'm by no means an expert or even a reliable authority on anything regarding meditation, but what is the difference between thinking about not thinking, and repeating a mantra? If one wishes to truly quiet their mind, would they not simply recognize that one's mind is not quiet, and simply allow any intrusive thoughts to fade away upon this realization?

If your mind is quiet, and suddenly you start thinking about what to have for dinner, what would you do? Wouldn't thinking "stop thinking about that right now, you are meditating" be something you wouldn't want to do? It is defeating the purpose of the exercise. Likewise, wouldn't repeating a mantra be the exact same thing? It is a thought that you are actively thinking. Even if you can more or less place it on the back-burner, so to speak, wouldn't it still be classified as a thought? Again, I'm no authority on this subject. It has merely always been my understanding that the goal is to recognize what is going on, and simply let it go. Each time thoughts start taking place, you let them go the instant you realize what's happening. I don't mean to be picking on your method. I am asking a legitimate question to which I am unsure of the answer.

AW don't worry Snoop! You ask so politely, how could one mistake that for a personal attack! I'll give you my 2cents.

I think that a mantra that is repeating without conscious thought is different from a thought that comes up. A mantra has an intent. It serves a purpose. A thought that comes up has a different intent and purpose from the mantra that you are reciting. I think that when you are doing a mantra. You can still have thoughts. In silence you can do a lot of things with ur mind. It's just something you can come back to and re-align with when you get lost in 'daydreams or what's for dinner this evening. Chicken, beans, maybe some fries. When that happens that's okay but that's not the point of meditation . We can think about what's for dinner without meditating. So that's not the point of why we meditate. Our mantra can help us return to the broader mind-state that helps us be aware of contents of our mind that we miss in daily life. I'm not sure what exactly is achieved with meditation. I think that's different for everybody. I think the goal is to uncover the nature of our self. And silence is a prerequisite. A mind that wanders is more of an obstacle than a mind that is focused. I admit, keeping the focus on any one point is sometimes detrimental to insight into other parts of self. See it more as an anchor. Such is my uneducated advise.

I'm reminded to a forceful psychedelic experience.. Ye.. With dmt. In this trip I quickly found myself in something resembling a box with 4-dimensional objects, as you do in hyperspace. Somewhat of a closed and small space yet with an 'infinite?' amount of folds. While this occured around me, for some odd reason, and I still have no idea why; I found myself sitting in lotus position and reciting a mantra; "I exist, that I know. I exist".. Around me I saw shadows flying around me like bats, dozens of them, to the point of almost touching me so I could feel winds rushing by. I saw stairs and corridors appear, expand wherever I focused my attention. All the while this Mantra was just there in the back-burner. Keeping me sane somehow.
I think the bats represent un-intergrated parts of the psyche and the stairs represent un-charted territory. Its quite easy to get lost in a vision I think. I didn't get a chance to really engage with it, but I can definitely see the mantra being quite useful to come back to and remember that there's more out there when you zoom out from the vision/thought/energy that you are currently engaged into.

That's that, lol.
Breathing meditation is something that I personally do and helps tremendously in silencing internal chats. Simply focusing on the breathe without controlling the breathe is a tremenduous task! It helps me with anxiety too... This task is so monumental and keeps me busy. (really, I haven't gotten longer than seconds of concentration) That is enough to clear out anything else alone. Outside of the confines of sitting meditation this has helped me be more mindful during all parts of living. It has helped me think. People still catch me off-guard.

Being physically active beforehand
taking a bath, staring at plants
making a thing with the things i see around me in nature (leafs, twigs, flowers, rocks, etc)

If my mind is unsteady before sitting to meditate, I first start by journaling. Putting the thoughts on paper lets them out so they don't bother me anymore. Once I'm sitting, my go-to method is to always return to the feeling my breath at my nostrils.

Over the years of reading books, I've accumulated many other methods that I sometimes use. Some are more for relaxation or getting to sleep rather than meditation, but I think they still apply:

- Various counting patterns.
- Combine counting with a visualization (like counting sheep).
- Combine breathing with a visualization (waves on a beach).
- Exhale the thought and inhale clarity.
- Identify each thought by saying "thinking" in your mind, without judgement.
- Allow a small smile at each thought, like a polite gesture to a stranger passing you on the sidewalk.
- Allow the thought to finish. Don't interrupt it, as that might introduce some resistance. Instead, let it finish as a complete sentence and let it go.
- Take each thought as a reminder to relax your body, especially directed at a point in your body where you tend to hold tension (shoulders, jaw, forehead, etc).
- Remind yourself that "That thought can wait, I will think more on it another time."

And here's a neat one that I'm always reminded of: Imagine that thoughts are delicate bubbles floating toward you. You have a feather and your task is to gently nudge the bubbles away with your feather without breaking them. It sounds like a visualization, but it's really just a concept that helps to instantly summon an attitude of gentleness. It acknowledge that thoughts will come and go. You need not be hostile to them. Just gently nudge them so they continue on their way.

By allowing it to be just as it is.

Observe the thoughts, don't judge their existence. Enjoy the action don't stretch for a result.

In meditation the action is to just be in the moment, which means to realize that whatever that happens during the meditation is right meditation.

To simplify this I think to myself that the only goal for me is to focus on making the act of practising in itself the critera for success.

"Did I sit with intention to meditate for the desired amount of time today?" - Yes? Good then I am on my way and I trust the process.

In this moment just recognise I am here and gently think/feel loving towards myself and everyone everything thing I possibly can - allow myself to be in that

You're correct but what I meant was I repeat a mantra until I feel like most chatter is gone and then stop repeating a mantra (Sorry If I don't explain myself proporly) I'm bad at explaining myself.

I don't generally meditate for a "quiet mind" as the goal, but enjoy it when it happens. I generally do visualization or intention meditation. It is more of a guided or directed meditation, but still takes a similar focus.

For visual meditation, my goal is to not be thinking about where my body is, but only be thinking about things visualized, basically a "full immersion". I start out imagining myself meditating in a zen garden, or on a mountain, or a different peaceful place. I then sit down there and meditate about what I was planning on meditating on at the start. This kind of "overloads" my brain, so I am not thinking a bunch of random thoughts, most of my mind is there trying to imagine the sensations, so when I start losing visualization the "layer" may be destroyed, but I don't go back to my actual body, just my peaceful place.

For intention meditation, I do what I call a "combo breaker" of trying to lucid dream. I lay in a position that is comfortable, but not quite easy to fall asleep in. I then do my mantra and some visualizations of dreams. I keep going, imagining each sense and realizing that I am dreaming over and over. Then It is over. The ending is very strange because it just seems to end at some point and I know that I am done and am going to LD that night. It is more of a tech for helping me get lucid rather than for meditating's sake. But I always meditate with a purpose, so I am different than most.

In closing.
I generally don't "calm my mind", I direct it. If I am in control of my mind, then it doesn't need to be calm or clear. I can just direct it. I don't need to be thinking of pink elephants, because I am in control. A calm and peaceful connection with my thoughts.

If my mind seems too clustered, having a shower always helps me. Nice hot shower (or cold during summer ) like i'm cleansing my body of stress, always clears my mind and calms me down ready to meditate

Originally Posted by snoop

Does repeating something over and over actually quiet your mind? Aren't you keeping your mind from being quiet by repeating a mantra in the first place? I'm by no means an expert or even a reliable authority on anything regarding meditation, but what is the difference between thinking about not thinking, and repeating a mantra? If one wishes to truly quiet their mind, would they not simply recognize that one's mind is not quiet, and simply allow any intrusive thoughts to fade away upon this realization?

If your mind is quiet, and suddenly you start thinking about what to have for dinner, what would you do? Wouldn't thinking "stop thinking about that right now, you are meditating" be something you wouldn't want to do? It is defeating the purpose of the exercise. Likewise, wouldn't repeating a mantra be the exact same thing? It is a thought that you are actively thinking. Even if you can more or less place it on the back-burner, so to speak, wouldn't it still be classified as a thought? Again, I'm no authority on this subject. It has merely always been my understanding that the goal is to recognize what is going on, and simply let it go. Each time thoughts start taking place, you let them go the instant you realize what's happening. I don't mean to be picking on your method. I am asking a legitimate question to which I am unsure of the answer.

You might think of a mantra as a sort of mental white noise, Snoop. When using one you really aren't thinking about it at all, but you are using it to fill the mental space your thoughts would otherwise be crowding. At most, the only "thoughtful" meaning a mantra ought to have is as a simple guide back to the place your mind ought to be.

I'll preface this by saying that I learned primarily from Theravada as well as Zen Buddhist traditions, and practiced these for many years, so my personal path which brings me to a 'clear mind' may be different than that of others - and that's okay. This is a short guide that may be helpful to others who are interested. I simply focus on Awareness somewhere else, allowing myself to become immersed into the target (breath, open awareness, senses) - whatever your focus is. Simply become highly aware. Let thoughts pass 'like clouds' with no involvement or reaction; remain equanimous. With continuation, the mind quiets on it's own accord due to lack of attention to put it simply. Make peace with distracting sensations; they'll pass.
If you have trouble retaining focus initially you can use a "gatekeeper" technique. This involves repeating a mantra several time, for example "I follow the breath", then "I follow only the breath", then "I follow every part of the breath". This triggers your subconscious and gradually hones in your focus. There's a few different ways to approach the target, but these are the most general.
-Hope this helped, but once again, it's a collection of techniques I've adopted from different teachers and that work for me personally. It's just a boat to get you where you want to go - it's not the destination (state of consciousness).

Originally Posted by EarthToKepler

For me, I naturally have a quiet mind to begin with but sometimes it does get crazy ahah so during meditation I say a mantra like 'I am deeply relaxed' over and over

So how do you quieten your mind?

I focus on the breath, take a few deep breaths at first relaxing myself then I let it flow nautrally allowing my thoughts to just float by. This leads me to have a kind of stillness in my mind, but also being alert.