Overcoming Intrusive Thoughts - 20-Minute Daily Insight

Intrusive thoughts are those thoughts that keep coming by themselves, even if we don’t want them too. They are often disturbing, and sticky. How to deal with them? Learn the mindful way to overcome them, without self-violence, and without suppression. 

Transcript

Hello and welcome to the daily insight.

My name is Giovanni Dienstman.

I am a meditation teacher and the author of Practical Meditation.

Today's practice focuses on overcoming intrusive thoughts by the power of awareness.

May you have an uplifting meditation.

Intrusive thoughts are repetitive thoughts that come by themselves and seem to stick around.

They are often unwanted and quite disturbing.

It could be thoughts of harming yourself or harming others.

It could be disturbing sexual thoughts or obsessions.

It could be almost anything.

First,

Know that there is no need to feel ashamed for having these thoughts.

This is something most people have but few talk about.

Intrusive thoughts are normal.

You are no less human because of it.

You are not responsible for the thoughts that spontaneously come to you.

You are responsible only for the thoughts that you choose to think and pay attention to.

So now let's take a deep breath in and as you breathe out release all feeling of shame or guilt regarding these thoughts.

Once again breathing in and breathe out releasing all feeling of shame and guilt.

There is a five step process to deal with intrusive thoughts.

In this short version of the daily insight you will learn the first step which is acceptance.

Acceptance is a powerful practice and for many people it's enough.

So right now accept that these intrusive thoughts come up.

Accept that they are here however ugly they may be.

You don't need to think these thoughts.

You don't need to believe them.

Simply observe them for what they are.

Observe them as clouds in the sky.

You are the sky.

Whatever you resist persists.

So by accepting these thoughts as they are and just observing them without emotional reaction you have now cancelled them.

These thoughts are powerless over you.

You are not responsible for them.

Just let them come and let them go.

Breathing in you accept these thoughts.

Breathing out you let them go.

Practice like this for some moments.

Breathing in you accept.

Breathing out you let go.

Now we move on to step 2.

Release.

Purposefully bring up to mind one of these intrusive thoughts that bother you.

Let the thought be there but release any emotional charge connected to it.

See it objectively.

For that you can label it mentally.

Intrusive thought is here or unwanted thoughts are here.

And then drop your resistance and fear about these thoughts.

Notice that this thought is in front of you but it's colorless and powerless.

It can't touch you.

These thoughts don't mean anything on themselves.

It doesn't mean that you will act on them.

They are just brain farts.

Breathing in you accept these thoughts.

Breathing out you let them go.

Breathing in you accept.

Breathing out you let go.

Now we move on to step number 3.

Awareness.

Realize that you are not your thoughts.

You are the observer of your thoughts.

Your thoughts are objects of perception for you.

Let that sink in.

You are here before any unwanted thought comes.

You are here while it's here.

And you are here after it's gone.

So you,

The witness,

Is the permanent reality.

Your thoughts just come and go.

You are the one with the power to decide which thoughts you will act on and which ones you will let pass.

Thoughts are powerless without you.

You are the one in control.

There is no need to fear any thought.

You are the one in power.

Now imagine that you are getting a pair of scissors and cutting all connection between you and those thoughts.

Now they are just thoughts floating in space.

They may still come by themselves,

But they are not related to you in any way.

They are not yours.

So you don't need to worry about it.

There is no need to dialogue with the thoughts.

You don't need to tell yourself that they are wrong or that you would never do such a thing.

Dialoguing with thoughts only strengthens them.

Just regard your thoughts like bubbles in a stream.

They are simply passing by so quickly,

So fragile,

So empty.

You are the witness of your thoughts.

You are not your thoughts.

Each thought arises from silence and in a few moments disappears again in silence.

See that.

Recognize that.

You are that silence.

You are that stillness.

You are pure space.

So you don't need to worry about thoughts.

Just keep focusing your attention on the empty space in your mind.

Focus on the inner space,

The empty screen behind all thoughts,

Behind all memories,

Behind all imagination.

Staying alert,

Watching this inner space of silence and stillness.

Now bring your attention to your breath.

Notice if your breathing is shallow or deep.

Notice if it is short or long.

Notice if it is jerky or smooth.

And if at any time you get distracted,

Just notice that and gently bring your awareness back to your breathing.

Breathing in,

You are aware that you are breathing in.

Breathing out,

You are aware that you are breathing out.

Moment after moment you are simply staying with the breath.

Just the breath.

Each time going deeper into the breath.

Opening yourself up to experience the breath in all its depth.

If there is a mantra that you use,

You can mentally repeat that mantra in sync with your breath.

If you don't have a mantra,

You can repeat the mantra Om as you breathe in,

As you breathe out.

You are not responsible for the thoughts that come up.

They are not your thoughts.

But you have the power to decide where you put your attention.

And you don't need to pay attention to anything that you don't want to.

Whatever you pay attention to will grow.

Whatever you withdraw your attention from will wane and disappear.

This is the power that you have to master your mind and thus master your life.

So whenever intrusive thoughts come up,

Remember to first accept them as they are.

To then release any emotional charge connected to them,

Dropping your resistance and fear.

Letting them go.

Then you realize that you are not your thoughts.

You are the observer of your thoughts.

You release any tendency to dialogue with those thoughts and instead focus on being the witness,

The silence,

The stillness that is aware of all thinking.

And finally,

You can choose to focus on something else,

Such as your breathing.

By following these five steps,

You will be able to let go of any unwanted thought.

I highly encourage you to listen to this meditation daily for 21 days to really absorb these skills.

And please share with us in the comments what is the biggest takeaway for you of how to deal with unwanted thoughts.

Bye Bye!

Reviews

Excellent suggestion on controlling unwanted thoughts.
Thanks 🙏

Very helpful thank you. My biggest takeaway was the five step process, but I will take your advice and try to listen to this regularly to really let it sink in.

that was super helpful and provided me relief with some really sticky thoughts… thank you so much 🙏

Really interesting techniques. Lots of great information here. I liked "you were here before the thought and after the thought" among other things! Husband appreciated breaking it down into 5 techniques. Thank you for this gift.

Thankyou, this was the best meditation I've come across for my unwanted thoughts. The anxiety they bring with them is so awful.
Can you list in the comments please the 5 points so I can add them to my journal. I will also try my best to do this for 21 days.
1, Accept them as negative thoughts
2, Release any feeling towards them
3, Let them pass like clouds in the sky/bubbles in a stream.
4, Concentrate on breathing
5, ??
Thanks so much Kristina xx

Truely helpful. I plan on listening over again to help abolish the obsession on intrusive thoughts that have burdened me for the past year. Getting over a hurt is hard. I have came along way in a year. I feel good about this meditation as an additional help to ridding me of these bad thoughts.

One of the most helpful meditations regarding intrusive thoughts ive wver experienced.

Takeaways:
-resistance is persistence
-there is no need to have a dialogue with intrusive thoughts
-thoughts are bubbles in a stream, fragile, empty

I am the observer of thoughts. I do not have engage with them. I can accept they were there and then let them go. I found this session helped my mind to relax and the thought were less frequent. Thank you for creating the space to practice accepting and letting go.

Acceptance and letting go
Cutting the ties like balloons on a windy day
I am not my thoughts

I am not my thoughts.

When intrusive thoughts occur, I think “Oh. My brain is doing *that* again”. This helps to distance me from the unwanted thought.

You know when you’re looking for something for so long and then you find it?! This meditation was exactly that and so helpful. Will definitely try to listen for 21 days to help cut ties with my intrusive thoughts. Thank you so much 🙏🏽

I am not my thoughts-thank you, this was very helpful

Balanced & clear meditation - simplifying intrusive thoughts & how to manage - highly recommend

Loved this meditation. The imagery of cutting the tethers of intrusive thoughts was very powerful and effective.

This is a wonderful meditation to release the unwanted emotions that come with the connection to the unwanted thoughts. Thank you.

Fabulous, Giovanni. Thank you

The biggest takeaway for me on how do deal with intrusive thoughts is to become aware of their transience, remembering that they will pass and that there is silence before and after each thought. I will definitely do this for 21 days.

Loved that I will try for 21 days thank you!

It's similar to the PAW method in mindful self discipline

I am adding this meditation to my favorites. Thank you for teaching me how to grow and go deeper with my meditation 🧘‍♀️