Internal Dialogue

General discussion of issues related to Theravada Meditation, e.g. meditation postures, developing a regular sitting practice, skillfully relating to difficulties and hindrances, etc.
User avatar
Collective
Posts: 217
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 8:12 am

Internal Dialogue

Post by Collective »

I've been noticing lately I 'talk' my thoughts. It's very much like an internal dialogue I'm having with myself. It feels such an unecessary burden now I'm aware of it.

For example, this morning whilst putting on my running shoes before my run, I caught my mind thinking 'I need new training shoes - these are wrecked'. My mind/thinking said this word for word. Rather than it being merely an impression, or a feeling of needing new shoes it was a formed sentence of conversation.

Is this what some speak of when they mention internal dialogue?
PeterB
Posts: 3909
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2009 12:35 pm

Re: Internal Dialogue

Post by PeterB »

Yes. And we all do it I suspect. Sometimes after practice it may fall away for a while. Which is nice. Then a voice pops up and says " this is nice "... :lol:
Just note and return, note and return.
shjohnk
Posts: 193
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:19 am
Location: Shanghai, China

Re: Internal Dialogue

Post by shjohnk »

PeterB wrote:Yes. And we all do it I suspect. Sometimes after practice it may fall away for a while. Which is nice. Then a voice pops up and says " this is nice "... :lol:
Just note and return, note and return.
:goodpost:
And I've noticed myself after achieving a good meditative state for about 30 seconds telling myself 'Well, gosh i'm doing well aren't i?' So I've been labelling that one 'conceit' and it's starting to obey when I tell it to leave :tongue:
PeterB
Posts: 3909
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2009 12:35 pm

Re: Internal Dialogue

Post by PeterB »

The danger in telling it to leave shjonk is that it may come back bringing its brothers. Just note and return.
User avatar
Goedert
Posts: 312
Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 9:24 pm
Location: SC, Brazil

Re: Internal Dialogue

Post by Goedert »

It happens to anybody.

When we get to much talk in the mind, it is good to do some samatha.

It is good to be aware of this mental talk, we can control it, by controlling it we don't get lost in thoughts, in analysation, etc.

I have a bad expirience in the beginning when I become aware of it. I tried to stop it with the mind, it was very foolish thing. What can we do is let the talk go, see it as not-self and shift the awareness to the breath or to body or to arising and cessation of things in the emptiness of the mind.
Freawaru
Posts: 489
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:26 pm

Re: Internal Dialogue

Post by Freawaru »

Collective wrote: For example, this morning whilst putting on my running shoes before my run, I caught my mind thinking 'I need new training shoes - these are wrecked'. My mind/thinking said this word for word. Rather than it being merely an impression, or a feeling of needing new shoes it was a formed sentence of conversation.
Have you checked whether your original assumption isn't right after all? I mean, when you observe the beginning of these kind of thoughts, the thoughts in a language, do you already know what you are going to think in a language or comes it as a surprise when the sentence develops?

For example, when you start to think " I need ..." do you already know what you need before the word "training" is formed in your mind?
Freawaru
Posts: 489
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:26 pm

Re: Internal Dialogue

Post by Freawaru »

Goedert wrote:It happens to anybody.

When we get to much talk in the mind, it is good to do some samatha.

It is good to be aware of this mental talk, we can control it, by controlling it we don't get lost in thoughts, in analysation, etc.

I have a bad expirience in the beginning when I become aware of it. I tried to stop it with the mind, it was very foolish thing. What can we do is let the talk go, see it as not-self and shift the awareness to the breath or to body or to arising and cessation of things in the emptiness of the mind.
Hi Goedert,

why was it a foolish thing to do ?
User avatar
Sobeh
Posts: 329
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 3:35 am
Location: Salt Lake City, UT, US
Contact:

Re: Internal Dialogue

Post by Sobeh »

My guess is, there's reigning the mind in and fostering wholesomeness, and there's playing whack-a-mole with the mind. The latter is what I thought of when I read "control". The former is what I thought of when I read "let it go".
User avatar
Annapurna
Posts: 2639
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2009 8:04 pm
Location: Germany
Contact:

Re: Internal Dialogue

Post by Annapurna »

Collective wrote:I've been noticing lately I 'talk' my thoughts. It's very much like an internal dialogue I'm having with myself. It feels such an unecessary burden now I'm aware of it.

For example, this morning whilst putting on my running shoes before my run, I caught my mind thinking 'I need new training shoes - these are wrecked'. My mind/thinking said this word for word. Rather than it being merely an impression, or a feeling of needing new shoes it was a formed sentence of conversation.

Is this what some speak of when they mention internal dialogue?


Hey, I'm doing this in 2 languages, and sometimes I have to seriously think about which one it is..... I don't feel uncomfortable about it. :D
User avatar
Goedert
Posts: 312
Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 9:24 pm
Location: SC, Brazil

Re: Internal Dialogue

Post by Goedert »

Freawaru wrote:
Goedert wrote:It happens to anybody.

When we get to much talk in the mind, it is good to do some samatha.

It is good to be aware of this mental talk, we can control it, by controlling it we don't get lost in thoughts, in analysation, etc.

I have a bad expirience in the beginning when I become aware of it. I tried to stop it with the mind, it was very foolish thing. What can we do is let the talk go, see it as not-self and shift the awareness to the breath or to body or to arising and cessation of things in the emptiness of the mind.
Hi Goedert,

why was it a foolish thing to do ?
Using mental talk to stop the mental talk. This is something foolish.
User avatar
bodom
Posts: 7218
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:18 pm
Location: San Antonio, Texas

Re: Internal Dialogue

Post by bodom »

Goedert wrote:Using mental talk to stop the mental talk. This is something foolish.
Not so. If one is struggling in meditation with wandering thoughts and proliferation one can use a discursive meditation such as metta, recollection of death or recollecting the qualities of the Buddha to counter the hindrance. By using a discursive meditation subject you can actually tire out the thinking mind. The discursive thinking will become too coarse and heavy and one will naturally want to drop the thinking and focus on a subtle object like the breath.

:anjali:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
User avatar
Goedert
Posts: 312
Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 9:24 pm
Location: SC, Brazil

Re: Internal Dialogue

Post by Goedert »

bodom wrote:
Goedert wrote:Using mental talk to stop the mental talk. This is something foolish.
Not so. If one is struggling in meditation with wandering thoughts and proliferation one can use a discursive meditation such as metta, recollection of death or recollecting the qualities of the Buddha to counter the hindrance. By using a discursive meditation subject you can actually tire out the thinking mind. The discursive thinking will become too coarse and heavy and one will naturally want to drop the thinking and focus on a subtle object like the breath.

:anjali:
Well said.
:anjali:
User avatar
octathlon
Posts: 599
Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2010 5:06 am
Location: USA

Re: Internal Dialogue

Post by octathlon »

What about music running through the mind? Thoughts are short--they rise and pass away quickly. But tunes in the mind can just go on and on continuously. I often have a real problem with this. :cry:
User avatar
bodom
Posts: 7218
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:18 pm
Location: San Antonio, Texas

Re: Internal Dialogue

Post by bodom »

octathlon wrote:What about music running through the mind? Thoughts are short--they rise and pass away quickly. But tunes in the mind can just go on and on continuously. I often have a real problem with this. :cry:
I have this problem as well. I just let it play out all the while watching it. Of course if the next song on the playlist comes up its time to hit the stop button. :tongue:

:anjali:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
User avatar
Annapurna
Posts: 2639
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2009 8:04 pm
Location: Germany
Contact:

Re: Internal Dialogue

Post by Annapurna »

It shall pass.
Post Reply