Analytical Thinker

What makes meditation so difficult for me is that I am a deep analyzer. it is in my nature to analyze any and everything; I can't help it. I've been this way since I was a child. Even when I'm focused on breathing, or my heartbeat, I still find myself narrating and taking mental notes of what I'm doing and how affective each technique, and it frustrates me because I know that I am not reaching that deep meditative state.

I'm not sure how to stop!

[John32241]

May I suggest that you shift your approach to telepathy. Praying is talking to God. Meditation is listening to God. Telepathy is having a conversation with God.

I am very analytical, I play chess well, worked in the computer industry as a programmer, and can simplify many complex issues down to their central or core component. Essentially I am a problem solver. I find that imaginary conversations with my inner wisdom, a very intuitive process, has brought me profound insights that my mind would never think of.

I suspect that this process would work best for you as well.

John

Maybe try the analytical meditations, such as Buddhist lamrim meditations. They first focus on analyzing to reach a conclusion (such as why we should love all beings, or the nature of reality). Then once the conclusion is reached concentration is needed to focus on the conclusion (this is placement meditation).

When the mind develops and purifies the analytical part transforms into wisdom realizing emptiness. This analytical mind can be very useful if put to the right purpose - it allows us to see through the appearance of reality to the ultimate truth. In the Buddhist lamrim teachings, these are the meditations on emptiness when we examine what the self is, and what phenomena are.

[Mr Interesting]

About a year ago a friend of mine started meditating and I asked her what she thought of while meditating. Of course, I was setting her up so I could tell her it was all about not thinking. She told me she just lets her thoughts wander in in saying that I felt that was a good thing so I told her that eventually those thoughts might be bored without reason to support them and stop.

It seemed fitting then and seems fitting now.

I am at the moment questioning the validity of the whole stillness and emptiness thing in meditation simply because I have attained it and wonder what it does actually offer.

Okay, it's good and I like it and I will keep exploring it but I'd also like to think that the quality of thought can be added back into the mix simply because it becomes a frame of reference with which to question and recieve answers.

I really feel that reason has it's place and needs to be balanced off against intuition as a way of being all that we can in the here and now. We are here because we are here.

Go with what works with you because in the end it may very well be the discoveries you make of and for yourself are far more important than cloning the discoveries of others.

Originally Posted by Rebel*Child

What makes meditation so difficult for me is that I am a deep analyzer. it is in my nature to analyze any and everything; I can't help it. I've been this way since I was a child. Even when I'm focused on breathing, or my heartbeat, I still find myself narrating and taking mental notes of what I'm doing and how affective each technique, and it frustrates me because I know that I am not reaching that deep meditative state.

I'm not sure how to stop!

You can't, per se. I had the issue of continuous thoughts about everything (I may not analyse, but I theorise a lot). There were two things that worked for me:

1. Practice. Keep doing it regularly, ignore those thoughts, replace them with a void. Eventually the practice will reduce it (but it does take time).

2. Focus on the void (but just the void). If thoughts occur, 'ignore' (filter) them as they are interfering with the analysis of the void.

What I found helped (as you might get resistance, like the 'thoughts' insist it's important or has to be seen to) is note the thoughts will be dealt with later, but not now, you're focusing on the void (the thoughts have a later slot) Like an answering machine, just say to call back later. It takes persistence. Keep it up (took me quite a while).

Do not try to stop your "analyzing". This is your nature, that's something you're good at, there is no reason to fight with it or stop it.
Just add another dimension to your meditation - observe your analyzing activity with no attempts to change it.
Just be an observer. That's the best meditation.

Gleb

Originally Posted by iDreamCatcher

Do not try to stop your "analyzing". This is your nature, that's something you're good at, there is no reason to fight with it or stop it.
Just add another dimension to your meditation - observe your analyzing activity with no attempts to change it.
Just be an observer. That's the best meditation.

Gleb

Very good suggestion to not fight your natural tendencies, but to find a way to add another useful layer to them.

Don’t underestimate the value of analytical meditation. The Dalai Lama notes about analysis in meditation & spiritual growth, “In all areas of thought you need to be able to analyze, ... . These two capacities- to analyze and to remain focused- are essential to seeing yourself as you really are. In all areas of spirituality you need both analysis and focus to achieve the states you are seeking. ... All these improvements are made in the mind by changing how you think, transforming your outlook through analysis and focus. All types of meditation fall into the general categories of analytical meditation and focusing meditation, also called insight meditation and calm abiding meditation.”
“How To See YOURSELF As You Really Are”, pg. 87 - 89

“There are two types of meditation: one that involves analysis and another that involves just placing the mind single-pointedly on an object without any analysis. ...
...
Analytical meditation is crucial. ... To improve your mind, you need to think a lot about the reasons for doing so, ... .
...
... An analytical attitude is important at the beginning, middle, and even the end of the spiritual path, since for wisdom to fully mature in Buddhahood you need from the outset to enthusiastically investigate the nature of things and to develop this attitude more and more.

It is not sufficient to think “Buddha said so” or “My Lama said so.” ... Analysis and reflection lead to conviction, which in turn yields a strong commitment to change your outlook and attitude; then with familiarization, or meditation, your mind will gradually be transformed.

... By making full use of your intellect you can adjust and transform a wide range of emotions. By reasoning rather than just fixing your mind on a topic you form valid cognition, and through its force erroneous attitudes gradually unravel.”
“Becoming Enlightened”, pg. 31 - 34

Use your analytical ability to to see how overly focusing on things isn’t conducive to your goals. An analytical ability doesn’t hamper one’s spiritual exploration unless one considers it an obstacle.

There’s allot of anti-mind stuff out there that is bogus & part of the school of thought that considers anything connected to our individuality to be in opposition to our soul or inferior. Divisive nonsense based in polarity rather than unity. Our soul has chosen to have this experience of individuality to further its (Soul Family, SELF, Oversoul) body of experience. Our individuality is as honored as any other part of our energies. The mind’s analytical abilities are a valuable tool. So are the emotional abilities. Combining the analytical abilities w/ the freedom to explore can be a very useful tool.

If you are finding that you are too focused on analyzing, actively peel away this like layers of an onion. Or compartmentalize & put the natural tendency to analyze back in a box, allowing your self to explore new things in a free form manner like the BEing in the flow of the feeling of the moment. Then you can analyze what you experienced w/ just going w/ wherever the flow takes you. I’ve often thought it was easier for those who are naturally analytical to get into the flow of connecting emotionally, than it is for those who are naturally emotionally oriented to get into the flow of BEing analytical, but this is probably because I tend (LOL) to be analytical personally & is the bias of the personal perspective.

BTW, do you happen to be a Virgo?

[Gem]

I tend to disagree generally. Narating the observation might be distracting as the OP finds it distracting, so what I'd do is just keep observing until the naration drops away.