‘The mind is to thoughts as the ear is to sound.‘
It’s a powerful reminder that, just as our ears naturally receive sounds, our minds naturally produce thoughts. It’s not something we choose — it’s simply part of being human.
The nature of thoughts
In their raw form, thoughts are fleeting mental events passing through our minds. Some studies say we get around 6,200 thoughts a day (and some say even more!). It shows that most of these thoughts come and go without our realising or holding on to them. Because thinking is what our minds do.
More often that not, it’s not the original thought itself that’s the issue, but underlying fears and meaning that give the thoughts weight. It’s the meaning our minds attach to the thoughts that gives it weight. We get an unpleasant or uncomfortable thought and our minds quickly analyse it, or judge ourself for having it, or label it as good or bad.
And suddenly, what began as an automatic, fleeting thought had us spiralled into rumination — often without us realising we’re caught in it. The simple mental event created an emotional event that causes worry and fear.
Loosening the grip of the thoughts
During these moments, mindfulness helps us become aware of the space between ourselves and the thought. That awareness can give us room to pause and gently shift our attention away from the worry. Even if the thought is still there, the shift can help lessen the impact of the thought and help us begin to ground ourselves.
It’s not about erasing, trying to push away thoughts, or ignoring them, but helping us recognise that thoughts are just mental events — recognising when we’re in the not truths, not reflections of our worth or reality; it’s not pretending fear isn’t there. But, instead of staying in the spiral and getting swept up in a thought — whether it’s a replaying a conversation, past worry, worrying about what might happen tomorrow, it helps you loosen the grip of the thought so that you can relate to it differently.
They’re simply experiences that arise in the mind, much like sounds arise in the environment.
Content for Thought:
The next time you notice yourself worrying about something, pause and ask yourself: What extra meaning have I added to this thought?
And ask yourself: Is this thought as strong as I think?
Simply noticing this can help you create space between you and the thought on your mind.
Quote from the book The Mindful Way to Depression by Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal, and Jon-Kabat-Zinn