“…When you speak of the pacifier that stops the mind’s crying are you speaking of the distractions we give ourselves?
I’m finding my mind too chatty as of late. Is meditation the way to slow that down or is simple awareness of it, all that’s necessary?
My heart says I need space, alone time….would lack of that need get ones mind whirling? At any rate today Im creating and protecting some space for whoever it is in me that needs it.”
Thank you for your question for the common good.
The “pacifier of the mind” is anything that will take the place of the previous object.
For example, the “normal” advice when someone ends a relationship is to replace that one, with another relationship. That is the pacifier.
Typically, the pacifier is used to stop the crying of the mind. To do that is not “bad,” for it accomplishes the task of stopping the baby from crying. It is the “normal” method.
However; crying will be there, every time Life takes away one of our precious “toys.”
For the one who is concerned about inner knowledge, to replace one toy with another is not the answer, but to find out why there is continuous crying of the mind. That takes observation, awareness of the self.
Through awareness, we could observe that there is “conscious awareness,” the ability to observe, to feel, to explore… That is consciousness.
Also there is thought, the script, words, the plot which changes in our favor or against us depending on our mood, our insecurities. All of that drama occurs in what we refer to as the “mind.”
The mind is chatty, judgmental, it makes assumptions based on fractions of facts.
A “normal” typical person will connect their consciousness to that mind first. Thus, the mind will set the tone for the feelings of the heart.
That person cannot know what love is, for the mind has a big filter.
The “I” and the mind are highly related.
To find that our mind is chatty, is a great finding indeed; nevertheless unless our feelings call for the need to “stop and take the time to smell the roses,” then that finding will be just theory without practical use.
When we feel the need to take it easy, relax, unwind, etc. it is at that time, when the mind will be observed as “slowing down.”
That is the clue for more findings.
Eating does not taste the same when we are in a hurry, when the mind is clogged up with thoughts. Any pleasurable activity that we may engage in, cannot be fully enjoyed if the mind is racing to nowhere. Without full enjoyment, any activity will lose its appeal.
We cannot enjoy the “now” for the mind is always in the future or the past.
What is meditation?
For most, a time to do nothing, to close your eyes or open them and repeat a mantra. Even though the mind is still moving swiftly along from cloud 9 into 11!
For others, Life itself is meditation.
Have you ever experienced an intense emotional bout? There you are…lying down, the mind is tired, maybe after intense crying and then, after that release…there is quietness, peace… the “calm after the storm.”
That is the natural way for the self to experience peace, although because we are “mind” conscious; we call that “peace of mind.”
I’d say listen to what your heart is saying: “My heart says I need space, alone time…”
Be there, all alone. No where to go. Paraphrasing what the sage once said: “Alone you will find self and self-realization.”
You could find those hours alone by yourself at a particular time, but then count on finding those hours alone while being with others.
You could find that time alone in Nature, while hearing the sounds of water by the shore, rocks, or even the rain drops. Sounds are extremely important in the physical realm. The rhythms of Nature will bring that natural “slowness” to the mind and so; the sounds of tibetan singing bowls, or the ones of birds chirping at dawn, or the wind blowing through trees. That is sound therapy your mind will appreciate…only when ready.
There is no single answer on “how to slow the mind down.” It is not a “fit all” answer. However, I can assure you there is a process of finding out what works for ourselves, which cannot be delimited by the collective beliefs of our minds.
Filed under: Questions Tagged: awareness, consciousness, crying, emotions, Love, meditation, mind, observation, pacifier, slowness, spirituality
