Turn That Record Off

ThailandTom

This realization if you can call it that came to me last night after a cold front with my partner and me laying on my, on the floor staring at the ceiling fan. Recently we have had many little problems (not with our relationship), but just general problems life throws at you. When they mount up they can become one huge problem.

Anyway, I was laying there and all of these problems were swirling around inside my head. I have had this feeling before several times, it is akind to when someone has the notion of suicide because I have had that feeling to. But let me explain how all of this ties into the title of the thread and this how relization thing. Imagine the worse sound you can imagine, for some it may the sound of a baby crying, for others it may be a chalk board scratching, whatever it is imagine that sound being replayed over and over on a record, but this record is inside your head. Wherever you go you cannot escape it's noise, you cannot get away from it. This is how, to me at least, it feels when you have so many problems that they drive you near insanity. It is also why people take their own life, they cannot get away from their record playing inside their head. But wait a minute, there is a way to get away from it, you can switch the record player off. How do you do this, through rational thinking, meditation and mindfulness. It may be hard in such an intense situation but it does work. I just thought I would share my perspective on this with the NB members.

ThailandTom

To note, from now on I am going to re-read every post I make because there are so many mistakes here it is stupid. Missing words, spelling mistakes, blah :dunce: I never use to proof read anything in school either, I guess I should start doing so now!

sova

Haha, Thailand Tom you need not worry about mistakes and the like. Communication is much more than the words on the page and the dots in the proper spots. I'm glad to hear that you have found the off switch to the record player! =D It might have a lot of momentum behind it, but once that wheel gets cut off from its energy source (re-assertion through .. verbal thinking) it slows down, and slows down, and slooowwwwsss downnnnnn and...




Sometimes I get overwhelmed with the worries of life, or really "a life of worries" that isn't really there, just a long-winded narrative that prevents interaction / depth with the present.

"Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify, simplify..." - My home boy Thoreau

ThailandTom

Thankyou for adding your thoughts and advice sova, much appreciated and some very lovely quotes in there When I made the original post my mind was still racing so I guess that showed in how it came out on the screen, muddled! I would like to express my thoughts and how I depicted this realization in a more decent manner, but I assume if you read my post you will get the message.

The main point of it was that I realized how as humans we trap ourselves within our own mind with exteral issues, they can build up, we feed them, we give energy to that record player and it continues to play it's hidious noise. If you have ever felt this feeling where there is no way out and you feel like you may go insane, you will fully understand.

Jeffrey

Tom I found that becoming aware of the body feeling helped me. I have heard those tapes too. Even a few short breaths can help. Closing the eyes and breathing and then gently look out. Let the awareness spread out of your body feeling. Feel the tightness or whatever is there. Feel any hurt. What does each body part feel like? Slowly.

Lady_Alison

Thank you Tom, this actually helped me.

mfranzdorf

Interesting. Something that sounds so simple can be so difficult. About 10 years ago I went through a divorce. The actual divorce was not traumatic, as in, it was the right thing to happen. However, what caused me the most grief was the emotional rollercoaster that followed. Feelings of failure, my children, problems as work......things got overwhelming in a hurry, that record as you put it, playing all the stinking time.......What finally allowed me to turn it off was a way that I started looking at the world. I would envision myself in my troubled state, be it laying in bed, in a chair, whatever, and slowly pull back like I was above myself looking down. Then, slowly pull away, watching myself get smaller and smaller, eventually looking down on my house from above, then my neighbor hood, them my town, and so forth, until I was looking at the entire Earth. All the while, realizing that within every house, every neighbor hood, every town, there was another individual suffering their own private crisis. Helped me a lot in putting everything into perspective.

ThailandTom

Yes this is what I pondered over for a brief moment, it is so simple in theory but when it comes to actually doing it, it can be somewhat of a difficult task. You can take this idea of a record player and use it to explain the mind and buddhism in many ways. The slowing down and calming of the mind during meditation for instance could be considered slowing down the vinyle until eventually it has stopped all together. I personally find it a good way to think about things and it helps me to bit certain aspects of life together mentally in my head.

Sorry to hear about you divroce, I am sure you have gotten over it now seeing as it has been so long and from what you have said. I my own father who do I not have a relationship with recently lost his two children and wife, he is trying to to custody of them. His father also died two weeks ago and the funeral was on valentines day.

possibilities

Tom, staying in the NOW helps you turn off that record. That record plays with thoughts of the past and the future - which you can't change or know anything about - so.... what is the point -- esp if it drives you crazy. Be kind to yourself and BREATHE. Deeply, think IN for in and OUT for out.... when you do that, there won't be room for other thoughts (Been there done that!).

Impermanence rocks ;-) ... hang in there, things will change, hopefully for the better.

And then the old meditation reminder -- training yourself to control those thought patterns. I know you're struggling with meditation -- Maybe this will make you try, if only briefly, one step at a time.
All this Buddhist practice is not just philosophical/religious -- it has lots of practical use helping to IMPROVE your daily life. TRY IT :-) Best wishes!!

ThailandTom

Cheers possibilities, yes meditation is weak with me and yet I know it to be crucial to ones practice. I will make it a point to do a formal sitting today at some point, my girlfriend is visiting her children in bangkok for two days and I also have school soon, but that is only two hours so I have plenty of alone time

weighted

Definitely agree with staying in the now, which is something I also need to keep in mind those moments when I hear the noise and I feel the world is just heaping problem upon problem in my lap.

We can deal with what life throws us and still be happy.

DaltheJigsaw

To note, from now on I am going to re-read every post I make because there are so many mistakes here it is stupid. Missing words, spelling mistakes, blah :dunce: I never use to proof read anything in school either, I guess I should start doing so now!

I'm with you on that. I been slowly going with the flow, but... one realized that as individuals if you want to be taken seriously, one must care about little thing. Specifically, of the way one is presented to the external world.

DaltheJigsaw

Haha, Thailand Tom you need not worry about mistakes and the like. Communication is much more than the words on the page and the dots in the proper spots. I'm glad to hear that you have found the off switch to the record player! =D It might have a lot of momentum behind it, but once that wheel gets cut off from its energy source (re-assertion through .. verbal thinking) it slows down, and slows down, and slooowwwwsss downnnnnn and...




Sometimes I get overwhelmed with the worries of life, or really "a life of worries" that isn't really there, just a long-winded narrative that prevents interaction / depth with the present.

"Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify, simplify..." - My home boy Thoreau

I love the way you think!:) Pass it on!

AMH

I look actively for things that take my whole attention, that flow. I can get quite stuck in my brain without other things to do that take more attention. So that is why it is so great when I am at schools in the afternoon. Even with the kids I still have to make sure I turn off everything else and totally focus, and then the here and now pretty much takes over.

I am not kidding, get some playdough, a set of legos, drawing pencils, you name it. When you are sitting there with your brain making everything so big it seems crazy just doing something like a kids helps. Think about that image of old guys sitting on the porch whittling (is that just a US thing) or women knitting. It works,

And I am pretty sure it would cost a fortune to ship legos to Thailand (btw considering culture the Danes invented Legos) so don't make me do it! LOL

Lady_Alison

Interesting. Something that sounds so simple can be so difficult. About 10 years ago I went through a divorce. The actual divorce was not traumatic, as in, it was the right thing to happen. However, what caused me the most grief was the emotional rollercoaster that followed. Feelings of failure, my children, problems as work......things got overwhelming in a hurry, that record as you put it, playing all the stinking time.......What finally allowed me to turn it off was a way that I started looking at the world. I would envision myself in my troubled state, be it laying in bed, in a chair, whatever, and slowly pull back like I was above myself looking down. Then, slowly pull away, watching myself get smaller and smaller, eventually looking down on my house from above, then my neighbor hood, them my town, and so forth, until I was looking at the entire Earth. All the while, realizing that within every house, every neighbor hood, every town, there was another individual suffering their own private crisis. Helped me a lot in putting everything into perspective.

I'm glad you joined because I was thinking about this all day and just now reading this thread I remember it car from you. This really helped me.

mfranzdorf

Sweet! Glad it gave you something positive to think about. I'm glad I joined too. Liking it so far

ThailandTom

Remembered it came from Tom lol, sounds like you are surprised :eek: Anyway I am happy it made some people think in a positive way

SpinyNorman2

... But wait a minute, there is a way to get away from it, you can switch the record player off. How do you do this, through rational thinking, meditation and mindfulness.

Yes, it's a good analogy. Sometimes I feel like I have a wind-up gramophone...

Lady_Alison

Oh...love you too, Tom. Good thread!

ThailandTom

lol, It was a mere thought whilst laying on my back staring up at the fan Alison. This is where most of my insights come from, not meditation, but randomness. I just hope that is has managed to helps some people in some way.

Lady_Alison

I think analysis of insight is a form of meditation. Sure why not?

Telly03

I have had a thought this weekend while suffering tremendously with a very angry tooth, and I finally got in Tues for a root canal. The pain was so intense that I thought about how tempting it would be to put a bullet in my head to end the pain, and the only reason this idea was dumb to me was that I knew the pain would eventually pass.

Now take the mental pain life can bring, which can be every bit as painful as my angry tooth, but without the knowing that it will or can pass... this gave me insight to how people can become suicidal... people need to know that there is a way to end the pain, or there is no reason not to end the pain with a bullet.

ThailandTom

I have had a root canal done, I would probably say that was the worse pain I have had, it made a grown adult cry lol. I was on the floor of my room dribbling blood and screaming, I tried to rip it out with pliers because it was late at night and thus had to wait for the morning. But yes, mental pain at some levels can be gross to the point you really just cannot deal with it anymore. Like I said, people should learn that it is not permanent and that they can swith the pain off at some point, a lot of lives would be saved.

AMH

root canals, yup. I have had 3 or 4, lost track, and 4-5 crowns, again lost track. I had one dentist who specialized in root canals and she got me totally numb! not easy to do, she actually explained why they start with lower amounts of novacaine instead of just maxing it out. It can raise your heart rate pretty good. Well I assured her that I would be okay because of my background in meditation and we got me numb for the next 24 hours.

I had an extraction of a tooth that was so painful that the aftereffects of pulling a wisdom tooth felt good. It was horribly abcessed. I was a long term sub for 1st grade and could not take any time off so I went and they did it after work, gave me some antibiotics and pain meds and I brought the tooth to show kids the next day at school.

I think we were talking about something else but I just have to share the dental stuff. No kidding I use meditation practice there a lot, and not because I am anxious. I love the people who make tooth pain go away!

Telly03

Oh i reread the last sentence in my earlier response... Kinda sounded like i was advocating suicide with the double negatives... Meant just the opposite