How to keep your ego in check while meditating?

Question

During meditation there are many thoughts that are running through your mind, I've heard this is your ego. It keeps you feeling separate, keeps you with a sense of duality, tries to convince you that you're flawed and broken and alone instead of whole. The ego is trying to keep itself in power and during meditation it's scared b/c it's power is being downsized yet still trying to assert its authority.

Instead of fighting with these meddling thoughts (ego) during meditation it's best to treat it like taking a toy away from a baby. Distraction. Divert his attention and give your mind something better to play with, something healthier, like love. Do you agree with this?

What method has worked for you in blocking the thoughts that ambush their way into your meditation sessions.

Thank you.

Answer 1

I distract it with lots of ice cream and donuts.

sometimes with a good movie.

Answer 2

you must ask yourself is this just your ego exerting control from another angle.

What does Mount Fuji say to the clouds?  

What is it that is doing the thinking?  what is its source?  deeper than you have ever gone before search for what ways past delusional thoughts.

with pressed palms

Answer 3

How you been Hope....

These guys are good:

http://www.shinzen.org/

http://www.meditationvideos.net/Meditati...

Answer 4

Hi Hope, regards as this is the first time to meet up with you.  Take some good advice and understand that you are not concentrating on what you are doing, that is the problem.  But, more importantly try to live your life instead of just thin king about how to prevent yourself from living your life.  All my best,

Answer 5

My experience has been that the nature of the mind is to think.  The nature of consciousness is to know. So, rather than trying to block thoughts, which has always been an exercise in futility for me, and contrary to the nature of the mind besides, I simply note.

As I breathe in, I note "inhaling," or "rising", and as I breathe out, I note "Exhaling" or "falling."  This is my primary object.  But thoughts arise that might distract me, so I note, "Thinking," and when noises occur, I note "Hearing."  Then I start to hurt, and I note, "pain."  Then I start to calm and feel balanced and expansive.  I note that, too.  In short, anything that I become aware of, I note.  

This does two things.  First, it establishes mindfulness.  This is critical in meditation.  When one tries to stamp out thought and force the mind onto a single object, inevitably, the mind fights back with more thoughts. It makes meditation a very painful experience.  Forcing the mind down like that leaves you vulnerable to judging, which is counterproductive to meditation as well.  Mindfulness can't be well-established if you're caught up in judgments and thoughts!

The second thing it does is that it harnesses the thinking mind.  If you can't shut the mind up, put it to work!  Noting has a tendency to shift the mind away from judging and random thoughts to settle it on what's happening right here and now, which is what you need for meditation.  Don't worry so much about the thinking inherent in noting.  Eventually, the noting will get so fast that the verbal thinking can't keep up.  What does it do instead?  It shuts up so that you can continue the noting.

No ego involved, and you are left with blissful silence!

EDIT--No problem, Hope!  I hope it works as well for you as it has for me. :)

Answer 6

I've never thought about it from that perspective. Interesting! ^_^

But to answer your question: When I meditate, I just let thoughts come and go, not fighting them but not giving them special attention at all. They'll go in time if I let them. I just focus on counting my breaths. Usually that will be enough to keep my mind off of wandering thoughts. If I'm having troubles I have a set of beads that I use. Maybe light some incense, put on some soothing music, etc.Things like that to reinforce the mindset and atmosphere I find useful for meditation.

Answer 7

  You must find your center...we are all yin & yang, positive and negative thoughts and energies...you must find the center and let those two energy forces neutralize each other. To attempt to block one strengthens the other and you are still imbalanced. Balance is the key to transcendental meditation. Namaste

Answer 8

Just let the thoughts pass.  Trying to resist or in any way engage active attempts by your subconscious to regain power simply energizes them.

Answer 9

Stop blocking them.

Hold them.  

Then you can see the space between them.

Then you'll know how to get back there.

Answer 10

allow  these thoughts to pass  thru  ur mind.they  will  go  away.

try  meditating  daily  at  the  same time. it  helps.

bst time  is  the  early  hrs of the morning.

  

Answer 11

Meditation is an elaborate waste of time that Eastern mystics promoted as a key to accessing some supposed supernatural state of being.

This baloney you're talking about is just so much regurgitated nonsense that these charlatans have filled you up with.  Go out an LIVE your life.  

We learn by doing, not sitting on a mat chanting and breathing.

Answer 12

Don't fight the thoughts.  Accept them and pay attention to the fact that they are there.  No need to try to get rid of them or make them go away.  It is what is is.  That's the point of meditation, to learn to pay attention to what is there.