THINKING ADDICTION

Feb 5 2002

Deanna: Dad do I have to meditate?

Dad: I don't know - why do you ask - don't you like meditating? Have you been 'ing-ing'?

Deanna: Yes but my mind keeps wanting to be singing inside not just thinking about 'ing'

Dad: That seems good to me it will take time before the meditation will help you - if a song comes into your mind thats OK - listen to it, ask where it came from, singing is an ing-ing to.

Deanna: but then I am not doing the meditation right.

Dad: what do you think doing the meditation right means? Is this another 'right answer' kind of thing.

Deanna: I am not supposed to think about anything but my mantra

Dad: Why do think they want you to do that?

Deanna: I don't know.

Dad: Well I don't know either and I am no expert on meditation, but my sense is that most meditations are supposed to help you become aware of and learn to be more free from your thinking addiction.

Deanna: My thinking addiction?

Dad: Yes. Here, take a moment and close your eyes and try and stop thinking.

Deanna: (smiling) I can't

Dad: thats my point. When we grow up we get addicted to our own thinking and our minds want to do it all the time. Its like you get about watching TV sometimes. When you plead for it (we both laughed) except instead of the TV out here its the TV in their - the Thinking Viewer in your mind.

Deanna: (lighting up as she gets it and laughing) You mean I am addicted to my own thinking?

Dad: Yep. And what meditations do is similar to what turning off the TV does when you really want to watch something. It allows you to become aware of how much you want to keep watching. By trying NOT to think about everything that comes popping into your mind you see just how much IS popping into your mind. Its busy in there and because you are addicted to it you don't notice it - meditation allows you to begin to see how addicted you are to the thinking of your silly machine.

Deanna: What's wrong with thinking all the time.

Dad: Well, for me, there are many times when I don't want to be thinking. There are times when I want my thinking mind to be quiet so I can enjoy my feelings. There are times when I want my thinking mind to be quiet so I can listen to what my feelings are telling me. The same is true for sensing, touching, hearing, tasting, smelling (sometimes I prefer thoughts to the things I smell) When I hug you I feel the hug much more deeply if my mind isn't chattering.

Deanna: Yes, there are lots of things I like to do that my thinking makes confusing.

Dad: There you go. Meditation is a practice for learning how to keep your thinking from taking over when you don't want it to. Its great that you are learning to do this now. When you get good at it you can teach me. I have trouble with my thinking addiction to.