When we say we want to increase mental power, it is tempting to think of putting the mind into hyper drive. We get visions of motion, speed, and thoughts churning out solutions as fast as our computers go to a hyperlink.
This seems to make sense, right?
Except that as we enter this new age of enlightenment we begin to see that the mind has a ‘mind of its own.’ And getting caught up in the obsessive swirl of the mind following its agenda has become what Ekhart Tolle calls society’s ‘disease’ of compulsive thinking. And in actuality what we need to do is quiet the mind, and slow it down so that it can perform its duties when necessary with more power.
Some might equate the mind to an out-of-control computer that refuses to turn off, but churns away at some problem you never put in. This computer never solves the problem. It just churns. And many of us have known this to be true in our lives, especially in times of great tribulation. We try to stop thinking about a problem, but we can’t. We run, jog, put on the TV, go to a movie, take a hot bath, and finally maybe even pop a sleeping pill in desperation. But through it all our mind churns away- and never reaches any solution. The mind, simply put, has a ‘mind of its own.’
At times like this, it seems the mind is your bitter enemy. Not only does it work compulsive, whether you want it to or not. But the messages it sends to you- such as “You’re a failure” “What’s wrong with you?” “Can’t you do anything right”- are disheartening at best.
So in order to increase mental power, what we actually need to do is train the mind. The mind needs to be trained that it turns on or off at our control, and focuses on the subjects that we desire at any given time- instead of following its own agenda. Which is easier said than done.
And I can give personal testimony that yes, this can be done. For instance, right now I am facing what could occur to others as insurmountable obstacles in my personal life. To name a few, my beloved father is passing away and I cannot be there with him. My back is healing from an injury, and the instability of a new business has me living in the question mark in life. But because I have trained my mind, and it does not run me, I live a stable, peaceful life, one day at a time.
Today I used a variety of methods to train my mind. I listened to an entrainment CD, then a meditation CD, and then a hypnosis CD. I went for a nature walk, and I called myself to be present to the walk, the air, the sun, and the smells. When my mind stepped in with worries and concerns I thanked it for the thoughts, but I did not follow them. As a rule, I really try to thank and appreciate my mind because I know that my mind, like a misguided child, it is only trying to help.