How to quiet your mind (meditation tips)

Matthew Cruz44 Active Member

80 messages
joined Aug 2018

#61 · Nov 26, 2018

I’ve come to the conclusion that this intense craving for enlightenment is actually just a triple threat of spiritual dissatisfaction, restlessness, and a healthy dose of ego all rolled into one package.

And then, occasionally, someone actually hits the mark. They experience it. And that’s really the end of the story. If you spend enough time meditating, you might even be able to catch that lightning in a bottle more than once, though personally, I find that nothing ever quite sticks for me—it just slips right through my fingers.

To me, achieving pure awareness isn't some sort of divine ascension; it's really just about being a functional human being. *Sniff.*

swiftdrifter4 Member

38 messages
joined Nov 2018

#62 · Nov 26, 2018

Matthew Cruz44 said:Well, I actually did manage it—it happened once, a little while back now. I haven’t really brought it up before because, honestly, I can be a bit vain about these things, and I worried that talking about it might somehow muddy the waters or cloud my own mind.

I don't regret sharing it, nor am I sitting here desperately trying to make it happen again.

It felt like one of those singular, unrepeatable moments in life, much like the mystery of birth or death; you can't just pull it out of a hat whenever you feel like it.

That specific instance was wonderful, though I’ve had other experiences that were even more beautiful. Generally speaking, I find myself drawn toward experiences that feel a bit more grounded in reality.

I don't really want to try and pin it down with words, though we have sort of sketched out the general idea of what it was.

I certainly don't view it as something lost, because it remains perfectly intact within my memory.

My take? Gurus like Eckhart Tolle or Ram Dass probably live in that state of non-individualized consciousness—completely without an ego. Maybe I'm wrong, but who knows? It’s all unprovable anyway.

Matthew Cruz44 Active Member

80 messages
joined Aug 2018

#63 · Nov 26, 2018

And honestly, I’m all for it, because at the end of the day, it’s entirely their call.

Think of them as the high priests of our modern era.

If you decide to commit your heart to a different path, then I suppose the old ways just won't work anymore; it’s much like how energy naturally flows toward wherever you choose to direct your attention.

boldmason42 Newcomer

8 messages
joined Nov 2018

#64 · Nov 27, 2018

swiftdrifter4 said:My take? Gurus like Eckhart Tolle or Ram Dass probably live in that state of non-individualized consciousness—completely without an ego. Maybe I'm wrong, but who knows? It’s all unprovable anyway.

I haven't experienced them that way at all. To me, they look more like people who have figured out some incredibly practical mechanisms that most people totally overlook, which makes them act like these invisible forces working from the background. Plus, based on what they teach, it seems they’ve reached something they consider an experiential fact. From that standpoint, they still maintain a "surface personality" and an "ego," but they see it clearly now—they aren't "under the spell" of it anymore, like someone caught in a trance. It’s almost like the outer layer of a limited person stops being a prison for the infinite self inside; the relationship shifts from being parasitic to being symbiotic.

Matthew Cruz44 Active Member

80 messages
joined Aug 2018

#65 · Nov 28, 2018

boldmason42 said:I haven't experienced them that way at all. To me, they look more like people who have figured out some incredibly practical mechanisms that most people totally overlook, which makes them act like these invisible forces working from the background. Plus, based on what they teach, it seems they’ve reached something they consider an experiential fact. From that standpoint, they still maintain a "surface personality" and an "ego," but they see it clearly now—they aren't "under the spell" of it anymore, like someone caught in a trance. It’s almost like the outer layer of a limited person stops being a prison for the infinite self inside; the relationship shifts from being parasitic to being symbiotic.

Exactly!

At their core, they are simply self-actualized individuals.
It might be that we seekers are occasionally drawn to Zen-like consciousness, craving it constantly, but that isn't the ultimate essence of life.
True self-actualization is about leaving a mark by actually utilizing what you've found.

Secondly, self-actualization moves in tandem with an expansion of awareness, and vice versa; achieving self-actualization is what facilitates a higher state of consciousness.
All those wise proverbs we hold dear are essentially the fruits of heightened awareness, which is why they endure and continue to be passed down. You know you’ve reached a higher consciousness when you can recognize the underlying unity between your own experience of self-actualization and that of others.

You aren't comparing yourself to them; rather, you are sharing the experience. To be detached from consciousness would be to exist like a mere plant. Being a Homo sapiens is something entirely different.

Zen consciousness tends to walk hand-in-hand with being a guru or a priest; it requires some sort of structure, some path of self-actualization, otherwise, you're just drifting through a chaotic, muddled mind.

goldeneagle2 Active Member

58 messages
joined Aug 2005

#66 · Dec 4, 2018

So, it looks like the American police forcehas finally started working on their mental headspace. Check out this short documentary— MINDFULNESS IN THE AMERICAN POLICE FORCE—which shows how they're actually doing it 👍 under the guidance of some private psychiatric practice based out of Washington, D.C.

Anyway, if anyone’s interested, you know where to find them.

Scott Nguyen5 Member

26 messages
joined Oct 2018

#67 · Dec 5, 2018

Robert Ruiz2 said:I’ve been drawn to meditation for over a decade now.
But honestly, I’m just too restless and fidgety to actually stick with it or see any results.

No matter how many times I try, or how many minutes I spend sitting there attempting to "meditate," it never sticks.

I’ve tried focusing my breathing. I’ve tried using background music. I’ve tried heading out into nature or even just doing it in the shower.
Zero luck.

The first few minutes go fine, and then the chaos starts:
- this position is super uncomfortable
- did the kids finish their dinner?
- what am I making for dinner tomorrow?
- is the water getting cold?
- is there something Flying in the room?
- I really should have said no (to that thing that happened 15 years ago)
- how am I ever going to lose weight
- I really need to shave my legs
And just like that, I give up. 🕺

Do you guys Practice meditation?
Any tips on how to finally shut my brain up???? 🙂
Thanks.

I just close my eyes and focus on whatever I (don't) see—basically total darkness. I try to redirect all my senses toward that void so external distractions don't bother me (unless it's traumatic noise, pain, or smells, obviously).

It’s impossible at first, but isn't it like any other skill? You can't expect progress without repetition.

steelskipper52 Newcomer

5 messages
joined Sep 2017

#68 · Dec 5, 2018

You can't just shut your brain off... and honestly, it’s a mistake to give up on trying. That whole idea is based on a total misconception. Thoughts are going to keep popping up, period. When they do, just let them pass by—let them drift through without grabbing onto them or giving them any real attention. Don't you dare quit.
Eventually, the noise dies down and things start to slow

Benjamin Taylor6 Regular

577 messages
joined Apr 2017

#69 · Dec 17, 2018

It’ll pass

A student once went to see his meditation instructor and vented—just completely blew up—saying, "My practice is a total disaster! Everything is distracting me, my legs are cramping up, and I can't stop nodding off. It's just miserable!"
"That too shall pass," the teacher replied, staying perfectly calm.
Fast forward a week, and the student comes back, practically glowing. "My meditation is incredible! I feel so present, so centered, so incredibly alive! It’s absolutely wonderful!"
"And that, too, shall pass," the teacher said quietly.

fadedsurfer2 Newcomer

4 messages
joined Apr 2019

#70 · Apr 25, 2019

Find a position that feels most comfortable to you—whatever that looks like. Close your eyes. Focus on your breathing, or if that’s too difficult, just listen to the ambient sounds around you, but avoid overanalyzing.
When your mind inevitably starts to wander, let it happen. Don't try to command it by saying, "Get back here," or "Focus," or "Why am I drifting again?" Don't fight it...
The goal is acceptance, not resistance.
During meditation, this sense of acceptance leads you toward a state of total spiritual peace. Your thoughts will gradually subside until your mind is completely still, leaving your "spiritual" receptors fully sharpened. 😉

Jesse Barnes5 Member

20 messages
joined Jan 2019

#71 · Apr 25, 2019

Tried a guided meditation yesterday, but I just couldn't settle in. Couldn't let go. Kept feeling itchy or restless, even while lying down. Really want to actually feel the benefits of this stuff, but I'm clearly doing it wrong.

Sent from my iPhone using Reddit

fadedsurfer2 Newcomer

4 messages
joined Apr 2019

#72 · Apr 25, 2019

Jesse Barnes5 said:Tried a guided meditation yesterday, but I just couldn't settle in. Couldn't let go. Kept feeling itchy or restless, even while lying down. Really want to actually feel the benefits of this stuff, but I'm clearly doing it wrong.

Sent from my iPhone using Reddit

As I mentioned earlier: don't fight those uncomfortable sensations. Accept them as part of you during the practice. Just lazily let yourself drift with the flow until your mind finally clears.

Jesse Barnes5 Member

20 messages
joined Jan 2019

#73 · Apr 25, 2019

fadedsurfer2 said:As I mentioned earlier: don't fight those uncomfortable sensations. Accept them as part of you during the practice. Just lazily let yourself drift with the flow until your mind finally clears.

Think I'll actually learn how to chill out eventually?

Sent from my iPhone using Reddit

fadedsurfer2 Newcomer

4 messages
joined Apr 2019

#74 · Apr 25, 2019

Jesse Barnes5 said:Think I'll actually learn how to chill out eventually?

Sent from my iPhone using Reddit

Yes. Maybe not on the first try, maybe not even the second... by the third, there's a bit more progress. Then even more. And it continues until you forget what it was like. 😉
Stay persistent.

coastalcanyon Newcomer

6 messages
joined Apr 2019

#75 · Apr 27, 2019

I just can't get this meditation thing to work... My brain is constantly spinning a million stupid thoughts at once.

Peter Hall56 Newcomer

5 messages
joined Aug 2019

#76 · Aug 5, 2019

coastalcanyon said:I just can't get this meditation thing to work... My brain is constantly spinning a million stupid thoughts at once.

Maybe try lying face down on the floor—place an object about eight inches in front of your nose to focus on. Try to lock your gaze on that one thing while simultaneously staying mindful of your breathing.

James Cruz4 Newcomer

2 messages
joined Aug 2019

#77 · Aug 18, 2019

Does anyone know if there are any meditation classes happening around New York City?

Robert Morgan56 Newcomer

2 messages
joined Nov 2014

#78 · Aug 19, 2019

It's happening, the second weekend in November.
https://www.adriankezele.com/events/...ne-meditacije/

Paul Rogers94 Active Member

235 messages
joined Apr 2022

#79 · Oct 24, 2019

Dhyana occurs when the distinction between subject and object vanishes. Everything else—the constant focus—is just concentration, and that requires actual work.

Don't get it twisted: practicing might keep the mind calm for a bit, but it won't kill it. The mind isn't going to just disappear on its own. It stays quiet temporarily... nothing more.
The real goal—the one absolutely vital for true freedom—is to maintain that stillness and finally dissolve the mind entirely.
Freedom is simply what happens when there is no mind.

When the mind doesn't function, you've found freedom. Focusing on an object? That yields nothing, because it’s forced. Effort is required to bridge the gap between the observer and the observed—that friction, that tension, is the very definition of mental effort. But when the mind doesn't function and returns to its natural state of calm and peace, the struggle stops. That is effortless. That is "freedom."

Achieving this kind of freedom doesn't require a manual or a specific technique. Forget the well-worn paths everyone else follows. You need to uncover your true nature—find out who you actually are. You have to start there, before you even attempt to understand anything else.

Drop the methods. Drop everything. Just sit still and stay quiet.
Stop stirring the pot—don't trigger the mind or engage the intellect. Instead, turn your attention toward the observer itself. That is your true nature, the bedrock from which everything else emerges. This is who you really are.

If you start treating this like a project—applying effort, using a method, or chasing some goal in the distant future—you're just falling back into the trap of time. And time? Time is just the mind playing games. Your fundamental nature is pure emptiness.

At every single moment, you are empty. That's all! Simply watch whatever thought pops up. You will find that all thoughts arise from emptiness, from their source. Once you become aware—once you realize, "I am that source itself"—the need to practice or travel anywhere evaporates. You'll realize you've been That all along.
This is "freedom," and it isn't something you hunt down in the future.
It's already right here!

~ H. W. L. POONJA
WHO IS AWARE OF CONSCIOUSNESS?

loneskipper10 Member

20 messages
joined Nov 2020

#80 · Oct 25, 2019

Paul Rogers94 said:Dhyana occurs when the distinction between subject and object vanishes. Everything else—the constant focus—is just concentration, and that requires actual work.

Don't get it twisted: practicing might keep the mind calm for a bit, but it won't kill it. The mind isn't going to just disappear on its own. It stays quiet temporarily... nothing more.
The real goal—the one absolutely vital for true freedom—is to maintain that stillness and finally dissolve the mind entirely.
Freedom is simply what happens when there is no mind.

When the mind doesn't function, you've found freedom. Focusing on an object? That yields nothing, because it’s forced. Effort is required to bridge the gap between the observer and the observed—that friction, that tension, is the very definition of mental effort. But when the mind doesn't function and returns to its natural state of calm and peace, the struggle stops. That is effortless. That is "freedom."

Achieving this kind of freedom doesn't require a manual or a specific technique. Forget the well-worn paths everyone else follows. You need to uncover your true nature—find out who you actually are. You have to start there, before you even attempt to understand anything else.

Drop the methods. Drop everything. Just sit still and stay quiet.
Stop stirring the pot—don't trigger the mind or engage the intellect. Instead, turn your attention toward the observer itself. That is your true nature, the bedrock from which everything else emerges. This is who you really are.

If you start treating this like a project—applying effort, using a method, or chasing some goal in the distant future—you're just falling back into the trap of time. And time? Time is just the mind playing games. Your fundamental nature is pure emptiness.

At every single moment, you are empty. That's all! Simply watch whatever thought pops up. You will find that all thoughts arise from emptiness, from their source. Once you become aware—once you realize, "I am that source itself"—the need to practice or travel anywhere evaporates. You'll realize you've been That all along.
This is "freedom," and it isn't something you hunt down in the future.
It's already right here!

~ H. W. L. POONJA
WHO IS AWARE OF CONSCIOUSNESS?

Everyone has their own story to tell.

How to quiet your mind (meditation tips)

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