Negative Thoughts

[Mole]

Usually I wake up with negative thoughts but as the day progresses I have good experiences with others, and I enjoy walking, reading, writing and eating, so by about five o'clock I have left all my negative thoughts behind.

Sometimes I think I would like to have positive thoughts all the time because positive thoughts bring positive emotions, but my negative thoughts are persistent.

So rather than trying to banish my negative thoughts I have started to listen to them to see what they are saying, and whether they are important, and how I should integrate them into my life.

So I find my negative thoughts are protecting me. So if I listen to them, and take notice of them, but continue with what I want to do, it seems to work.

For instance, I wanted to meditate at night surrounded by candles standing in a creek running through an urban park near me. Immediately I had negative thoughts that people would think I was weird in the creek at night surrounded by lit candles. This negative thought is probably true but then I thought there is no reason I can't meditate in the creek without the candles. And so I listened to my thoughts warning me of possible danger, but then went ahead, taking this advice.

 

[jcloudz]

the whole meditation thing sounds fun. i would try it but i would do it with privacy, an its not so much that i m concerned about what others may think, its because i enjoy tranquility an peace. you should give some quick examples of negative thoughts. do you mean, you are always fearing you are in danger? you are concerned with security? being concerned with security is not bad but you should not let your concern consume you an quell the good times you can be having. its neat you are stepping out there an doing things.

 

[Mole]

the whole meditation thing sounds fun. i would try it but i would do it with privacy, an its not so much that i m concerned about what others may think, its because i enjoy tranquility an peace. you should give some quick examples of negative thoughts. do you mean, you are always fearing you are in danger? you are concerned with security? being concerned with security is not bad but you should not let your concern consume you an quell the good times you can be having. its neat you are stepping out there an doing things.

I have actually meditated standing up in public in front of a large waterfall in a tree-lined thoroughfare of the Australian National University.

In the meditation my physical and mental states change. And this is abundantly clear to those walking past. First of all their eyes are immediately drawn to me, but then they realise this is staring, so they look away. But they can't help themselves and cast furtive glances back at me as they pass on.

Meditation is powerful and has powerful effect on anyone watching, particularly if they are passersbys who are caught off guard.

 

[Rail Tracer]

Yes, negative thoughts are there to "protect" you.

A lot of psychologists and psychiatrists use this sort of method to change the way people with "symptoms" think by helping to mold it. When negative thoughts occur, the person questions the warrants of the thought. A lot of times, it isn't as bad as what your thoughts perceive it to be. Could it just be people who are interested in what you are doing? I'd certainly be curious to see a person meditating near a creek with candles.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I know you aren't big on self-help, but this is different. It's based on actual research, and I've already noticed a difference since I've read it. It's written by a psychology professor at some dinky school called the University of Pennsylvania.

Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment: Martin E. P. Seligman: 9780743222983: Amazon.com: Books

I like it because it shows me how I can be happy without believing or accepting things that I think are dumb. Although, there is a way to incorporate spirituality with it, if that is important to you.

 

[Mole]

Yes, negative thoughts are there to "protect" you.

A lot of psychologists and psychiatrists use this sort of method to change the way people with "symptoms" think by helping to mold it. When negative thoughts occur, the person questions the warrants of the thought. A lot of times, it isn't as bad as what your thoughts perceive it to be. Could it just be people who are interested in what you are doing? I'd certainly be curious to see a person meditating near a creek with candles.

This is an interesting post, for as I enter deeper into meditaton, I enter deeper into my psyche, or we might say, my unconscious becomes conscious.

And deep meditation does have an effect on unsuspecting passersbys. And the effect can be to raise the unconscious in the passerby without their explicit approval first.

If the unconscious of the passerby consists of negative commands of the Superego, or if the unconscious of the passergy consists of improper or inappropriate desires of the Id, the passerby will feel uncomfortable. So sometimes, the passerby will blame the meditator and try to stop them meditating in public, by abusing the meditator or by mocking the meditator.