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From what I'm beginning to realize more and more is that the central problem in humans is the mind: the constant intrusions of random thoughts, generating self-

From what I'm beginning to realize more and more is that the central problem in humans is the mind: the constant intrusions of random thoughts, generating self-conflicts based on past remembrances which are also projected in the future. Your mind is obviously out of control: if you had your mind under full control you would be able to sit for 1 hour in a dark room and had zero intrusive/distracting thoughts. And yet if you try this you might last a few minutes but then you'll start to fantasize and get lost in future/past images and you won't even notice when you got sucked into them, it happens so automatic, without one noticing it. So thus the question becomes: how can one deal with this? What needs to be done/seen for one to overcome these random thoughts? I'm exploring this now through Krishnamurti. There are many Buddhist monks, but how many of them reach enlightment? Practicaly zero, so obviously they are doing something very, very wrong.

chowells 4y ago
It seems like what should follow from this is rejecting the idea that the brain should be under conscious control. Brains just don't work that way. Why not find a way to make use of that?
- oifjsidjf 4y ago
  >Brains just don't work that way. Why not find a way to make use of that? If that were true this means that anything you try and do is futile because you will always revert to a hardcoded state, basicaly meaning that you are a full robot. I have experienced permanent changes through understanding/seeing my own mental patterns. So yes, the brain can be brought under consious control, but one needs to see it's patterns: once you see a pattern it dissolves, freeing you from the thought. But to truly see a pattern "in your bones" aka have an "euroka moment" can be quite difficult at times. Intellectualizing/philosophising is a dead end. It must be an instinctive realization, not an intellectual one. So it's not that you bring the brain under consious control through action: it's via negativa: You regain control by removing the random/conflincting thoughts.
  - chowells 4y ago
    Why so binary? There are states between full control and no control. You can learn about yourself and make changes without silencing unconscious thought. In fact, intrusive thoughts can be a valuable tool. Last week I found myself wondering "what if I have stage IV cancer?" in response to a tiny medical issue. So I thought about it. Developed a plan. Decided I was satisfied with it. Then I thought about the changes I wanted to make, and started thinking about whether some of them would be a good idea anyway. I'm still thinking about it, as the weights on various choices are a lot different if I'm not actively dying. But there's stuff to think about. Choices to make. And this is because I actually make use of the random things my brain produces, instead of attempting to remove them.

chowells 4y ago

It seems like what should follow from this is rejecting the idea that the brain should be under conscious control. Brains just don't work that way. Why not find a way to make use of that?

oifjsidjf 4y ago
>Brains just don't work that way. Why not find a way to make use of that? If that were true this means that anything you try and do is futile because you will always revert to a hardcoded state, basicaly meaning that you are a full robot. I have experienced permanent changes through understanding/seeing my own mental patterns. So yes, the brain can be brought under consious control, but one needs to see it's patterns: once you see a pattern it dissolves, freeing you from the thought. But to truly see a pattern "in your bones" aka have an "euroka moment" can be quite difficult at times. Intellectualizing/philosophising is a dead end. It must be an instinctive realization, not an intellectual one. So it's not that you bring the brain under consious control through action: it's via negativa: You regain control by removing the random/conflincting thoughts.
- chowells 4y ago
  Why so binary? There are states between full control and no control. You can learn about yourself and make changes without silencing unconscious thought. In fact, intrusive thoughts can be a valuable tool. Last week I found myself wondering "what if I have stage IV cancer?" in response to a tiny medical issue. So I thought about it. Developed a plan. Decided I was satisfied with it. Then I thought about the changes I wanted to make, and started thinking about whether some of them would be a good idea anyway. I'm still thinking about it, as the weights on various choices are a lot different if I'm not actively dying. But there's stuff to think about. Choices to make. And this is because I actually make use of the random things my brain produces, instead of attempting to remove them.