🔼: #### Thoughts - 🔑 Thoughts are one of [[Action#The Three Known Drivers of Behavior|the three known drivers of behavior]]. - In Buddhist Psychology, thoughts are considered our sixth sense as [[🔑 Thoughts come from Parts|🔑 you are not your thoughts]]. ##### The Three Catalysts of Thought | Sensory Experiences | Emotional Responses | Inspiration | | :--: | :--: | :--: | | - [[🔑 Our mind is directly influenced by our surroundings]]<br>- Real but not true <br>- [[💡 Focus & Concentration]] | Our mind attaches emotions to sensory experience. <br>Consider associative relationships like cues, triggers, and trauma:<br>- If a child is told they’re the best thing ever and can do no wrong and everyone else sucks, there’s a good chance they’ll grow up feeling arrogant. <br>- If they’re verbally abused, they’re likely to have self-esteem issues. <br>- The words they hear become attached to emotions. Thoughts arise in response “I’m not worthy” [[💡 Burdens 🪨\|Burdens]]. Thoughts impact behavior. Both adults are likely to be negatively impacted long-term. | - Nothing to do with sensory experience or emotions.<br>- Flashes of inspiration or creativity, ephanies, insights<br>- Truly original ideas<br>- Seem to come from “outside” ourselves, genius is a state of mind | ##### Thought Awareness Do each for three days before moving onto the next. One practice builds on the next. ###### Awareness of thoughts Notice each thought, pleasant or unpleasant, as it comes up into awareness. Do not try to engage, change, or direct them - just allow them to come and go. - [[🧘 See, Hear, Feel In]]. Practice for 5-10 minutes daily, maybe after a preparatory practice such as Om Chanting or [[🕯️ Breathwork 💨]]. ###### Evoking Thoughts [[🔑 We cannot help but label things]]. Consider the relationship between the senses and our thoughts. Go outside, sit on a park bench, people watching. Somewhere with lots of visual activity. [[🧘 See Out]], [[🧘 Hear In]]: When we look at any object, we’ll notice a thought. “White chair.” “Crooked.” “Red.” “Loud.” “Clear.” “Small.” “Octagonal.” “Checkered.” Pay attention to the thoughts evoked by what you see, then switch objects. We’ll notice our thoughts change. If the thoughts that arise aren’t related to the object, switch objects. Practice 5-10 minutes. ![[Favorite Food Exercise]] %% ###### discarding thoughts [[🧘 See, Hear, Feel In]] with eyes closed. When a thought arises, discard it. When we discard a thought, we make space for a new one. Allow as many random thoughts as possible, without engaging with them, and continue to discard them. Notice if anything changes with time. Practice 5-10 minutes. ###### Evoke Positive Engaging Thoughts You may notice that some thoughts are more engaging, stubborn, or difficult to shift away from. We can evoke a memory that you are proud of, something we’re proud of, or an accomplishment. • Now, discard it. Evoke another thought and discard it. Practice for 10 minutes daily for 3 days. ###### Evoke Negative Engaging Thoughts Note: Be cautious about this fi you have a mental health diagnosis and discuss with your provider before engaging in this practice. [[🧘 Trigger Practice]] After 3 days of the previous practice, you may start this practice. Evoke a negative thought - a thought that you get caught up in which emotionally hurts you. - Examples: It can be a situation in which you were wronged, a negative way you feel about yourself, or a negative experience. - Do not jump to something extremely negative such as trauma or body image issues fi they are very powerful. - Practice shifting and discarding it. Evoke another thought and discard it. Practice for 5-10 minutes daily for 3 days. directing thoughts - holding thoughts 5 min at a time for 3 days %%