Anarchy Journal Constitutional

Hearing that we don’t think, rather that thinking happens to us, sounds weird at first.

After all, if I’m not in control of my thoughts, then who is?

Do you breathe?

Or does breathing happen to you? What happens if you try to stop breathing?

Do you dream?

Or does dreaming happen to you? What happens if you try to stop dreaming?

Do you blink?

Or does blinking happen to you? What happens if you try to stop blinking?

Are we living? Or is life happening to us?

“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” — Marcus Aurelius

Why are we like this?

Many of the things causing problems for us as human beings in the modern world are survival mechanisms baked into us through evolution. Many first-world problems can be whittled down into a mismatch between our ancient brains in a modernized world. Once upon a time, it was not only a good thing but a necessity for our brains to constantly scan for threats and opportunities. Our constantly overthinking neurosis is partially why we as a species have survived as long as we have.

“Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of them.” — Epictetus

Constant thought streams have been a problem for me like they are a problem for pretty much everybody. Most people, however, are so identified with their thoughts that they don’t even realize they are having thoughts. According to spirituality teachers like Eckhart Tolle, most people believe their thought streams are their lives. That is living to them. Their thoughts, their emotions, their life situation. That is life. That is their identity along with their name and their job, maybe their hobbies and taste in pop culture.

“Identification with the mind is the root of all suffering.” — Eckhart Tolle

Breaking free from identifying with my thoughts, even for just a second, was a special experience I’ll never forget. It was a hard lesson that there is no singular awakening or epiphany that changes one’s life forever. It takes a series of small choices, micro-tasks, and seemingly insignificant actions repeated habitually until they are automatic which creates lasting change.

“Peace is every step. The path is the goal.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

Meditation and mindfulness have been lifesavers for me.

To calm then quiet the mind, to detach from the ego and be in the silent space of the present moment is worth the lifetime of practice it takes to master. To be able to stop thinking, even briefly, then drift back into thought because that’s what we habitually do, but then pull ourselves back out of thought and into the stillness of the present moment, over and over and over again helps to create mental and emotional space that is needed for our ability to survive and thrive in the modern world.

“The mind is the place where we become conscious of ourselves and the world around us.” — Aristotle

I needed to create the space between stimulus and response first.

I needed to awaken and become aware that I am not my thoughts, I am the witness of my thoughts first. From there, I have been able to plug philosophical and spiritual wisdom into that space to help guide my thoughts, perceptions, emotions, and actions in more beneficial and productive directions. I read self-books and listened to personal development audiobooks and podcasts for years with little to no effect because I was so identified with my ego-centered thought streams that little to nothing would get through. It’s like there was a detrimental forcefield covering my mind and spirit.

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” — Wayne Dyer

Break the vicious cycle first.

I recommend doing something to break, slow down, interrupt, or stop the constant thinking first. After you break the cycle of constant thinking, you can fill the cracks with wisdom and beneficial knowledge, tactics, and strategies to habitualize what in essence is an entirely new way of living that goes against the grain of human evolution, a life without constant thinking.

I’m no master or guru.

I struggle with this mightily. Depression has been a part of my life for over half of my life now. When my mother died I needed to utilize hallucinogens to stop the combination of grief and depression from swallowing me whole. That is what broke the cycle of constant negative thoughts and emotions.

What I do.

My meditation and mindfulness practices helped to deepen and widen those breaks and make creating space slightly easier. In those spaces I continue to plug in philosophy study, spiritual practice, journaling, yoga, nature bathing, a mood support supplement stack of theanine, ashwagandha & St John’s Wort, reading nonfiction books, listening to personal development podcasts, nightlife socializing, heavy weight lifting, cardiovascular exercise, learning about psychology and human nature, and eating to live rather than living to eat while still indulging in the sweet treats of life.

What you can do.

Those activities may work for some, maybe not for others, the specific activities don’t matter what matters is that they are beneficial actions and force one to focus their mind on what they are doing in the present moment to either execute proficiently and/or to enjoy oneself fully. Philosophy and spirituality practices might turn some people off, and that’s fine, what’s ultimately most important here is one’s individual agency. Everything I listed is practical, not wu wu or exclusively for the rich and privileged.

Viewing philosophy and spirituality through the lens of humanism is what has helped me to accept rather than resist these ancient wisdoms that have become self-help tropes. The human experience is not unique to us in the modern world. The philosophies and spiritual practices that are ancient to us now were created in real-time to help humans exist with less self-imposed suffering.

Our constant thinking is self-imposed suffering brought about through evolving internally to overcome external challenges. That same evolutionary potential can allow us to overcome our internal challenges using these external tools of wisdom that can guide us to; manage our thoughts and explore our inner peace by giving us a deeper understanding of our minds so that we have a better chance of thriving in the modern world.