07-22-2007, 12:00 AM
"...but I would like to see the individual who is having a hard time erasing personal history be able to learn the methods intended to silence the mind. To me this is a critical point at the beginning of the path to knowledge..."
I have shared this method before on this site. It has worked for me.
When you begin to practice silence, you actually begin to listen more to your inner chatter. It seems to become worse, and maybe it does. You will find that "forced discipline" will only make matters worse. It is more of a "patient discipline" that is needed, knowing it won't happen overnight. And your subconscious or FI will rebel if forced.
My method is to realise this,.. and also one other thing.
That we can only think one thought at a time.
We think we can but in actuality we are constantly jumping from one thought or subject to another and back constantly. (I believe Don Juan pointed this out to Carlos in one of his early books.)
So I decided to use this knowledge to my advantage.
Just listen to yourself breathing. The sound of your breathing in and out. Do it all of the time. You will find yourself going back to the internal dialog over and over. Don't get upset when this happens. Just go back to listening to your breathing. You may do it a hundred times a day. Don't get upset. Just go back to listening to your breathing.
There is no meaning to this sound, so it will not tie you to your Tonal as speaking does. And while you are doing this, you really cannot think of anything else.
If you cannot hear your breathing because of surrounding noise, no problem. Just pretend to hear it. You know exactly what it sounds like so just listen to the memory of that sound.
It is as simple as that.
After a while, if you don't try and force it, your subconscious will stop rebelling, because it is actually enjoying it. This is where it gets fun because you will just naturally want to do it all of the time. While driving and working etc.
Keep at it for about a month or two and you will be amazed at your ability to go into a heightened awareness in moments. Sometimes just by thinking you are going to begin stopping your internal dialog.
You will also be amazed at your ability to "read" people.
Approach it like the water that wears away the stones. The stone cannot stand up to the current that will not stop.Bob
I have shared this method before on this site. It has worked for me.
When you begin to practice silence, you actually begin to listen more to your inner chatter. It seems to become worse, and maybe it does. You will find that "forced discipline" will only make matters worse. It is more of a "patient discipline" that is needed, knowing it won't happen overnight. And your subconscious or FI will rebel if forced.
My method is to realise this,.. and also one other thing.
That we can only think one thought at a time.
We think we can but in actuality we are constantly jumping from one thought or subject to another and back constantly. (I believe Don Juan pointed this out to Carlos in one of his early books.)
So I decided to use this knowledge to my advantage.
Just listen to yourself breathing. The sound of your breathing in and out. Do it all of the time. You will find yourself going back to the internal dialog over and over. Don't get upset when this happens. Just go back to listening to your breathing. You may do it a hundred times a day. Don't get upset. Just go back to listening to your breathing.
There is no meaning to this sound, so it will not tie you to your Tonal as speaking does. And while you are doing this, you really cannot think of anything else.
If you cannot hear your breathing because of surrounding noise, no problem. Just pretend to hear it. You know exactly what it sounds like so just listen to the memory of that sound.
It is as simple as that.
After a while, if you don't try and force it, your subconscious will stop rebelling, because it is actually enjoying it. This is where it gets fun because you will just naturally want to do it all of the time. While driving and working etc.
Keep at it for about a month or two and you will be amazed at your ability to go into a heightened awareness in moments. Sometimes just by thinking you are going to begin stopping your internal dialog.
You will also be amazed at your ability to "read" people.
Approach it like the water that wears away the stones. The stone cannot stand up to the current that will not stop.Bob