04-20-2009, 12:00 AM
There is a book by John Selby, 'Quiet Your Mind' that has a great technique. He astutely points out that trying to focus the mind on one thing, like a
candle or mantra only hold back the internal dialogue for a few seconds or minutes. However, if you do two or three things with the mind, it will shut off.
For example, try shifting your attention to a tree off in the distance and then move it to something closer -- it can be any object. Simultaneously, listen to
the sounds around you. Try this and you'll find it much easier to turn the mind off and go for much longer periods of interior silence. (I highly
recommend getting his book. Each chapter is correlated to instructions on a web site for further education.)
candle or mantra only hold back the internal dialogue for a few seconds or minutes. However, if you do two or three things with the mind, it will shut off.
For example, try shifting your attention to a tree off in the distance and then move it to something closer -- it can be any object. Simultaneously, listen to
the sounds around you. Try this and you'll find it much easier to turn the mind off and go for much longer periods of interior silence. (I highly
recommend getting his book. Each chapter is correlated to instructions on a web site for further education.)