Comments on: How to Stimulate Your Creative Thinking

By: bikehikebabe

bikehikebabe — Mon, 25 May 2009 19:17:03 +0000

I’m bothered by mental chatter when I “try” to sleep. You can’t “try” to sleep. (My mother thought sleep was soooo important that we were sent to bed as children, before we were tired. I like to blame Mother ) I do a lot of exercise to avoid this.

Making a “possibility” list (Jean’s word) helps too. Then when I’m in bed my racing mind doesn’t list what I did & have yet to do. Another help is listening to a book on CD or tape. It’s not good to go to bed thinking about YOUR life.

My psychology daughter says A.D.D.s have racing minds. I asked her what a non-racing mind is like. “Someone who can think- Blue.” Is this possible? Try & don’t think about an elephant.

By: Hannah

Hannah — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 21:43:03 +0000

I’ve been thinking about this lately, as I’ve noticed that I get my thoughts out better when I get them out “on paper” (or on the computer, depending on the nature of the thought). I am definitely a word person, and am a little concerned that my natural tendencies may be hindering my creativity. When I write out my thoughts, I can make some sense of them–otherwise they are just a nondescript jumble in my head. Often, my writing takes on some sort of shape (usually an outline or bubble form, or some combination of the two).

I’m still experimenting with this, but I have considered buying myself a nice Moleskin…without lines.

By: John Rocheleau

John Rocheleau — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 05:22:40 +0000

Jean: I absolutely agree about the importance of not identifying with everything we think and feel. Identity in that sense, stops discovery. The moment we label anything — including ourselves — we tend to stop looking further. There is so much more.

And yes, mental chatter could be anything that blankets the mind so that you can’t see in.

By: John Rocheleau

John Rocheleau — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 05:03:26 +0000

Lance: My experience of that void is that it is an entrance of sorts of all of existence. That may sound lofty of me, but it is my experience and I believe it to be true. There is such immense power and understanding within our reach.

I hear you on the early morning biking. I used run, then when I couldn’t anymore, I became a cyclist. I know just what you mean

By: Jean Browman--Cheerful Monk

Jean Browman--Cheerful Monk — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 03:48:51 +0000

John, I've known for years that I need a certain amount of solitude in order to keep connected with the deepest parts of myself. That practice is so well integrated into my life that I'm probably taking it for granted. Lance mentions "what deep-down makes our heart sing." Amen to that! I spent many years when I was younger finding that for myself, and it was well worth the trip. Joseph Campbell describes it this way:

People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the physical plane will have resonances within our own innermost being and reality….

As I wrote in My Brain Is My Favorite Toy

But more important than individual tools and skills is the attitude of curiosity and playfulness…of being open to new ways of seeing and doing things. For me that means not identifying with everything I think and feel, but being able to stand back at times to notice how my brain works.

What I'm saying there is mental chatter isn't just the words going through our heads, it's any kind of mental activity that keeps us trapped. It seems to me that the core of meditation is being able to free ourselves of that.