the concept of the neutralizing thought

[saurab]

Thought, any one thought, is by nature unidirectional. If this thought is a negative thought and this thought is ALSO important to you for whatever reason, then one needs an opposing neutralizing thought to settle it, instead of saying "cancel or get away or NO etc". If this negative thought is really important to you (like some negative thoughts are important to trauma victims) then just saying "go away or NO" will just push this thought into the subconscious, which will have to be faced later (sometimes many births later). So you need a neutralizing thought. The practice can then be to think of such a neutralizing thought. If this thought is left unsettled it can gather momentum, and emotions can gather around it and if left unresolved it can become a negative tendency.

[Unseeking Seeker]

I’ll present another viewpoint for consideration ~

There’s no harm per se with any thought that arises in awareness. The problem is ownership of thought. We own the thought and so automatically reinforce it. On the other hand, if we look at the thought form nonchalantly, as we would at any material object, say like a bird flying by, then there is no fetter, no bondage, no attachment.

Most of us are not at the level of awareness where we can see the thought in preformation stage before it matures and is released as a bubble of energy, then plays out its force before ebbing away or merging with another thought form. So, the source of thought, where lie it’s roots? Is it impulsed by soul or by ego identity (lower mind)? And what is the intent, unless it is instinct driven?

Until we get to a stage of thought rested stillness in a continuum of agendaless animated attention, simply present in its innate vibrance, it may be preferable to distil each thought in the cauldron of unconditional love before it is converted to word or deed. Of course it requires us to be mindful, moment to moment.

In my view the concept of opposing neutralising thought is self defeating since it requires a doer employing force. Why resist? Just look at whatever appears for it will soon disappear, just like the bird alluded to above.

[Redchic12]

A neutralising thought isnt always self defeating or requires a lot of force. Neither do you have to resist it.

When I have a negative thought I ALWAYS acknowledge it (so no resistance) and then say something along the lines of “oh I really don’t need to think about you right now so I’ll let you go”. Then I straight away think about something else. It doesn’t feel like force to me only a change of direction..


I really feel that the FIRST negative thought isn’t the problem, it’s the ones that follow it that are associated with it that causes us problems. A bit like a snowball. The first ball is small and can be discarded easily but if you let it roll down a hill it will get bigger and bigger and can cause problems. The solution is to NOT let it roll down the hill, so to speak.

Yes I have also done what you describe as just keep looking at it until it disappears. I’ve had quite a bit of success with that as well.

[Miss Hepburn]

saurab, If an unwanted thought comes in ...a memory where you embarrassed your self is a good example....15 years ago, no less,
what is an example of a neutralizing thought so it is not just pushed into the subconscious mind, please.

[saurab]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

saurab, If an unwanted thought comes in ...a memory where you embarrassed your self is a good example....15 years ago, no less,
what is an example of a neutralizing thought so it is not just pushed into the subconscious mind, please.

Dear Miss Hepburn, you are a kriya yogi who meditates on God sometimes (or often perhaps) so you dont need any of these things like neutralizing thoughts because you have the greatest neutralizing thought of all: "He is my Maker. I trust Him". what greater neutralizing thought than that in times of trouble ? so you dont need to bother about what I have written. :)

[saurab]

I would like to give an example of a neutralizing thought. Let us say some severe injustice has happened to you like losing your arms and legs because of some religious fundamentalists like say the christian fundamentalists or the muslim fundamentalists. Now after the shock of it is over and you start living a semi-normal life again, the thought may strike you that all muslims or christians are bad and God is unjust because they are not being punished. It is okay for us, lucky people to say "forgive them", but ask the ones who have lost their arms or legs. They want revenge, plain and simple by the hand of God. And if they dont see it happening to them, then they can begin to question the justice of God. This can become a serious problem for them for many life times. But if they can find a neutralizing thought such as : "God is just but his justice sometimes takes time" OR something like an understanding of evil people that their evil grew little by little then that can become a neutralizing thought for their anger against the world and God.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by saurab

... you have the greatest neutralizing thought of all: "He is my Maker. I trust Him".
what greater neutralizing thought than that in times of trouble ?

Oh, that's what does it...lolhahahaha...Gotcha.

[Unseeking Seeker]

@RedChick ~ yes, in fact one of the verse in the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra 112 meditations suggests a similar method as you’ve said … keep shifting thoughts, holding onto none, surrendering each.

To which wave of the ocean should we cling?

[Gem]

Originally Posted by saurab

severe injustice has happened to you

True. Grudges can be rough, but they are understandable and have good reasons like injustice, and the old rage it contains, which is still unprocessed, is also valid, so we often cannot identify a bad thought as separate from hard emotion like spite, anger, resentment an so forth...

Eventually we have to live through it so it can come out and be freed, but now may not be the time. It might be better at one time to suppress such things so you can prevent getting more hurt, and also, just get on with life. At some stage those conditions will change, and the right safety will eventuate along with the space needed to let the old wound open and release the 'infection', and heal over properly. It just needs the proper conditions of safety, protection and care.

[Unseeking Seeker]

Addressing the OP point raised on trauma, I once received a vivid wisdom download in what we may say in trance state or lucid dream, wherein we’re awake actually, where the message was ‘all conflicts must be resolved by love alone’.

The scene in the wisdom download related to a case of child abuse. The child wanted revenge and so was taken into the next life time where roles were reversed. Revenge was allowed but then remorse followed. In the next life, roles were again reversed and the child was once again the victim. This went on till the victim ‘forgave’ the transgressor and exited the inane game. The aggressor however could not exit ~ he needed to reincarnate as a victim and then forgive and so transcend.