How to Watch Thoughts?

If you’re struggling to concentrate on a big idea, this handy technique can help you clear your mind of any distracting thoughts.

Compulsive thoughts, whether negative or positive, can make life difficult, especially if you consume a lot of self-help literature

Here is something that can help you:

Relax and Watch Your Thoughts Like They Don’t Belong to You

Stage 1

Begin observing your thoughts by focusing on their content and attempting to identify their source without putting too much effort into it.

Consider whether the thought is influenced by hope, desire, or fear, among other factors.

Continue examining the content of your thoughts for as long as possible, but stop if you feel yourself losing focus.

Eventually, you may notice that you are transitioning from being fully immersed in the thought to being more of an observer, causing the thought to lose its influence over you.

Stage 2

Your performance in stage 2 depends on your success in stage 1. If you did well in stage 1, you may have already surpassed stage 2.

During this stage, allow yourself to actively observe and await the next thought.
As you wait, you may notice a slight delay in the arrival of the next thought. This delay is actually a good sign and indicates that you are making progress

After a brief pause, you will notice the next thought emerging, and this time, you may sense a degree of control over it.

While you cannot manipulate the thought, you might feel as though it is unfolding at a slower pace.

This process empowers the Watcher, but be cautious since it may lead to the Watcher developing a sense of ego and attempting to manipulate you.

This could result in a time gap with some noise, causing a degree of stress, where it may be challenging to differentiate between the thought’s content and the Watcher’s role. It can be challenging to succeed in this game, so keep trying without being too aggressive.

If you find this gap enjoyable and are not experiencing any additional thoughts, you might want to spend some more time in this stage, as it indicates that you have made significant progress.

Attempt to observe the gap between two thoughts, and you may notice that your thoughts slow down

The danger at this point is that the Watcher has gained dominance and taken over the entire process.

You must detach yourself from this state. Take a break and attempt this process again.

There’s no harm in attempting the next stage and returning to this stage later.

Stage 3

Similar to a cat waiting outside a mouse hole, you will become aware that the Watcher is anticipating the next thought.

The length of this wait will depend on the advancements you have made in the earlier stages, and your current stress levels also have a role to play, but it’s important to try and relax.

Allow the Watcher to relax as well without forcing anything.

If you feel like you are exerting too much effort to prevent the next thought from arising, it may be best to cease these attempts.

Instead, create a minor distraction and permit some thoughts to enter.

At this stage, you may notice that the Watcher and thoughts are in sync, and there is no need for you to actively monitor the emergence of new thoughts.

The Watcher will appear naturally, which is quite impressive!

The Watcher is now extremely attentive, and the deceleration of thoughts has become integrated into your subconscious system.

The Watcher is always present, waiting for the next thought and examining the content of your thoughts in real-time.

Stage 4

Great job! Your progress is exceptional. You have now attained a consistent state of being with the Thought Watcher.

It is important to hold onto this state until you can progress further without it.

Whenever you think of the Thought Watcher, it instantly appears, and you may notice that thoughts are no longer arising. If you can maintain this state for an extended period without much effort, you have made remarkable progress.

Some individuals may feel that the Thought Watcher is not a new concept and that they already possess it, while others may appreciate its presence since their thoughts are now absent. Both statements are true, and you may switch back and forth between these thoughts.

If you ever feel that distracted thoughts are depleting your energy, you can introduce a Thought Watcher to your mind and repeat these stages as needed.

Stage 5 & 6

Maintaining the presence of the Watcher for an extended period without any arising thoughts allows you to notice longer gaps between them. During these gaps, the Watcher might dissolve as well.

Sometimes it is recommended to watch the Watcher itself and its actions. This means being mindful of how the Watcher is watching, how it is reacting to thoughts and emotions, and how it is affecting one’s state of mind.

At this stage, with the absence of both thoughts and the Watcher, what remains is the concept of time. However, once the Watcher dissolves and thoughts cease to arise, time loses its meaning, as it is intricately woven into the fabric of thought, along with space.

Bingo! You are heading to enlightenment.