life on earth
Hacks
for
Mental Control
Tzvi Freeman
P
lenty of personal coaches, psychologists and consultants will provide you with advice and techniques for mental control, each teacher providing what works for him or her. But in Jewish circles, we have a small book called the Tanya, a classic work of spiritual guidance by a great tzadik and teacher building upon an ancient tradition— and its chock-full of how thoughts work and how to reach great heights by learning to control them. Here are a few mind-hacks from the Tanya, gently rendered 21st century friendly: THOUGHTS ARE A TOUCHSCREEN DISPLAY FOR YOUR PSYCHE. Think of the display on your smartphone (hey, maybe you’re looking at that right now!). By touching that display, choosing what you want to observe, and manipulating the symbols, you have control over your device. Same with your thoughts—they’re not just a window into your brain and heart. They also allow you to manipulate that brain and heart. Your smartphone is manipulated by touch and voice. Your thoughts are manipulated by simply detaching yourself a little, observing what’s up on the display, and choosing which thoughts you want to invest in. MENTAL CONTROL IS REALLY HEART CONTROL. If I tell you I’m sad, don’t tell me I shouldn’t be sad. I am sad. But if you offer me some happy thoughts to think, pretty soon I may not be so sad. You can’t choose how you feel, but you can choose what you think, and what you think has the power to change how you feel. That’s what the Zohar means when it says that the mind innately rules over the heart. Not the way a dictator rules by stern command—nature requires no commands. Rather, wherever your thoughts travel, your emotional state naturally follows close behind. Ever been to one of those guided relaxation classes? Your mind observes “I’m breathing”—and your breathing falls into a steady rhythm. Your mind observes “my
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fingers are tense”—and without any order or command, your fingers release their clasp and relax. Herbert Benson deemed it “the relaxation response.” Any part of the body that comes into direct connection with the mind becomes mindlike—calm, steady, and detached. So, too, when the mind applies itself to matters that concern the heart, the childlike heart responds by growing up a little, and becoming a more mindful heart. YOUR THOUGHTS NEVER STOP. Stop and listen to the thoughts running through your mind. Yes, we all have them. Everyone describes them differently, and some are more aware of them than others, but they’re there, buzzing non-stop. If you don’t hear your thoughts, try this simple, well-known hack: Stop everything you’re doing and listen to your breathing. Within a short while, as your breathing becomes more rhythmical, your thoughts will seem to become louder. Now you can start observing them. You’ll notice that your thoughts are quite similar to your breath. You can control your breath, but when you let go of the reins, the
breathing continues all on its own. The same with your thoughts. You can choose what to think, but when you let go, your thoughts don’t stop. They never do. You may be thinking about nothing, but you’re never not thinking. That’s important to know. The autopilot function in your brain is not the pilot of choice in anyone’s cockpit. And it’s easily hijacked by your worst enemies. So keep a vigilant watch over what’s happening up there. The more mindful you are of your thoughts, the better you’re going to feel about yourself and about life. Your thoughts are not you, and you are not your thoughts. It’s natural to observe those thoughts buzzing in your brain and say, “Oh, that’s me.” But it’s not you. If it were you, then who’s the one observing those thoughts and saying “That’s me?” You can’t directly observe the raw perceptions and feelings that form your current character and personality, just like you can’t directly see your own eyeballs. Your thoughts act as a wondrous kind of a mirror—but a crude mirror, displaying
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