Originally Posted by iamthat

Everyone who is serious about meditation has to deal with the incessant internal mental chatter.

One approach is to rest in the witness state observing thoughts coming and going without identifying with these thoughts.

Another approach is to block thoughts as they arise, which requires continual vigilance.

This is stated in the 2nd sutra of the 1st book of Patanjali's yoga sutras:

Yoga is the restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff.

Swami Satchidananda comments on this:

In this sutra Patanjali gives the goal of yoga. For a keen student this one sutra would be enough because the rest of them only explain this one. If the restraint of mental modifications is achieved one has reached the goal of Yoga. The entire science of Yoga is based on this.

If we can apply this restraint on the arising and modifications of thinking then the result is a quiet mind, free from thoughts, as expressed in Book 3 sutra 10:

The restraint of rising impressions brings about an undisturbed flow of tranquility.

And Ramana Maharshi says something similar:

Never allow thought to run on. If you do, it will be unending. Take it back to its starting place - the mind - again and again, and it and the mind will die of inaction. The mind exists only by reason of thought. Stop thought and there is no mind.

Peace.