Is it possible not to think or to stop thinking?

Is it possible not to think? Can we train our mind to stop producing thoughts, ideas or evoking certain memories or conversations? The answer is no. As much as we like the proposal, the brain does not have a switch that allows us to completely turn off internal chatter, worry, and even less thoughts.

There is something that without a doubt we have all experienced firsthand. They are those situations in which someone tells us that “Get that out of your head, stop thinking about what worries you, turn off your mind and rest”. We would love for our brain mechanisms to work that way. It would be fabulous to leave standby the mental universe and remain suspended in a placid nebula of peace.

We must be clear, none of this is possible. We cannot empty the mind like someone pouring water out of a jug and leaving it empty. We are living organic entities, governed by electrical impulsesby a heart that beats and by a series of nerve cells that are always working. Even when we sleep…

Is it possible not to think? This is what science tells us

Is it possible not to think? More than one person may tell us right now that yes, he or she does it often. Now, it is necessary to remember that from a neurological point of view the brain never stops or stops working. That means As long as there is chemical activity in neurons, there will be thoughts, conscious or unconscious.

Therefore, the thinking inertia of the human brain cannot be stopped. What many people do when they say that they can “empty their mind” is to replace one thought with another. For example, we may have had a problem at work today and come home at night with a high volume of stress and worries.

To relax, to achieve a certain psychological calm, what we can do is visualize a pleasant image in our mind (a sunrise at the sea) or, replace the “today has been a horrible day” to “tomorrow everything will be better”. That is, it is not possible not to think, but it is possible to choose what we want to think about to have some control. about our mind.

Thoughts are impregnated with emotions and cannot be “turned off”

There are many types of thoughts: analytical, deductive, deliberative, rational, irrational, conscious, unconscious… The chatter of thoughts is a regular part of our experience as living beings and this is something that cannot be stopped.

Likewise, there is another factor and that is that Thoughts are permeated by emotional components and emotions cannot be turned off either. They can, of course, be controlled or managed.

Is it possible not to think? The more you try, the more frustrated you will become.

Is it possible to block thoughts so as not to suffer? This is something that many people ask themselves. What’s more, there is no shortage of those who try it daily, who strive to drown, stop and dissolve certain thoughts from the mind. Now, as they say in psychology, the more you tend to block a thought, the “more it bounces back.” The more we try not to think, the more we will think.

Hence the classic example of the pink elephant, it is enough for us to be told not to think about it for it to be the only image that arises in our mental universe. Now, something that experts on this topic, such as psychologists Jens Foerster and Nira Liberman, point out to us in a series of studies, is that it is not possible not to think, nor is it useful to block thoughts.

The first step to have control over thinking is to accept each idea, every phenomenon that appears in the mind. The next step is to understand, control and transform.

“Stop” thinking to generate alternatives

The thought stopping technique was introduced by Alexander Bain in 1928 and reviewed by JG Taylor (1955).. It is a strategy that serves a very specific purpose: to reduce the loop of ruminative thoughts as well as the negative emotions that accompany them.

In this case, stopping thought is not the same as “not thinking.” In reality, this strategy accepts, identifies and gives presence to that adverse thought and then tells our mind to stop reinforcing that idea and that emotion. Convincing ourselves that this flow of thoughts is not useful and that we must stop it and replace it with a healthier approach takes time and training.

Therefore, if we ask ourselves if it is possible not to think, the answer is clearly no. What’s more, even people used to doing meditation and deep relaxation do not limit themselves to “leaving their minds blank.” What a good meditator does is be in tune with his thoughts.. It is harmonizing mind and emotions to give calm and control to everything that happens in the mental universe.

The brain is a factory of ideas, memories and thoughts. It never stops generating psychic processes even if we do not realize it. Therefore, it is so essential to exercise good control over them.. After all, thinking well is living better.

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